On Sunday, December 3, the College Football Playoff (CFP) was revealed with the top four teams making it. The #1 ranked and #4 ranked teams will play, and the #2 ranked and #3 ranked teams will play.
The Rose Bowl and the Sugar Bowl, both on January 1st, 2024, will feature the top four teams and will decide the national championship. The four teams that made the playoff are 1. Michigan; 2. Washington; 3. Texas; 4. Alabama. Bama will play Michigan in the Rose Bowl and Texas will play Washington in the Sugar Bowl.
Here is a breakdown of each team’s journey to making the final four.
#1 Michigan. They were very deserving of the number one spot and had a great season going 13-0 and winning the Big Ten title. They had one of the best defenses in the nation and the offense was great and got the job done for that great defense. That being said they were also in the middle of a cheating scandal and have lots of controversy surrounding their program. They earned their playoff spot, but also, their controversy, and some people might not count it if they win the whole thing (which they could). They will have a great opportunity against Alabama in the Rose Bowl, but I could see Alabama making it a game.
#2 Washington. They are led by one of the best quarterbacks in the nation in Michael Penix Jr. who had the most passing yards of any quarterback in college football this season. They also have great receivers like Rome Odunze and a great running back in Dillon Johnson. Although their defense is not as good as Michigan’s; it has been enough to get them 13-0 throughout the season. They got the big wins when they needed them most including two wins against Oregon and others wins against good Pac-12 teams. They have a good chance to beat Texas if the defense can hold up like they have been able to do all year pretty well and we know the offense will come through in a big game.
#3 Texas. They have some impressive wins and a talented roster and were able to go 12-1 only losing to Oklahoma. They have come a long way throughout the season after beating Alabama in Week 2 and then losing in Week 6 to Oklahoma. They are led by quarterback Quinn Ewers who had a massive game in the Big 12 Championship which likely secured a spot in the CFP. They have a great wide receiver in Xavier Worthy who has 969 yards and five touchdowns. They will be up for a big challenge against a very talented Washington team which they will have to try and slow down the offense. They have the defense to win this game, but they will need another big game from Ewers to knock off Washington in the Sugar Bowl.
#4 Alabama. This is the team that has had the most controversy surrounding them getting into the CFP over Florida State. They definitely have one of the best wins in all of college football this year beating Georgia in the SEC championship game. This is the win that got them into this playoff because they were able to knock off the back-to-back national champs that were on a 28-game winning streak at the time. They went 12-1 with 4 wins against ranked opponents after a rough start when they lost to Texas in Week 2 and almost lost to South Florida in Week 3. Jalen Milroe stepped up in big games when the Crimson Tide needed him most, including a miracle at the end of the Auburn game to keep the season alive. Alabama had a great season, but some people are still unsure about why Florida State didn’t make it. They have the toughest matchup out of any of the four teams going up against the number one ranked Michigan who has had a great season and will look to win the national championship after falling short last season.
There was a bit of controversy with the rankings, as Florida State (left out of the CFP) got ranked fifth, even after being 13-0 and winning the ACC. They became the first Power 5 team that was undefeated to miss the CFP.
This should be an exciting playoff, as we get four teams from four different conferences. They all have great resumes with tons of talent spread across the teams.
Sources:https://www.espn.com/college-football/team/stats/_/id/251