At least one Seattle-based football team is guaranteed to make the postseason in their sport. After weeks of speculation and debate, we finally have our College Football Playoff field. On Sunday morning, the playoff slate was unveiled, and it should be one of the better ones in recent memory:
- Michigan Wolverines (13-0)
- Washington Huskies (13-0)
- Texas Longhorns (12-1)
- Alabama Crimson Tide (12-1)
Michigan will take on Alabama in the Granddaddy of Them All in the Rose Bowl, while Texas and Washington will have a rematch of last year’s Alamo Bowl in the Sugar Bowl.
#CFBPlayoff Semifinal at the @rosebowlgame presented by Prudential
1️⃣. Michigan // @UMichFootball // #GoBlue
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4️⃣. Alabama // @AlabamaFTBL // #RollTideMonday, January 1.
Will we see the Wolverines or the Crimson Tide in the 2024 CFP #NationalChampionship? 🏈🏆 pic.twitter.com/tmQHfm5qxv
— College Football Playoff (@CFBPlayoff) December 3, 2023
#CFBPlayoff Semifinal at the Allstate @SugarBowlNola
2️⃣. Washington // @UW_Football // #GoHuskies
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3️⃣. Texas // @TexasFootball // #HookEmMonday, January 1.
Will we see the Huskies or the Longhorns in the 2024 College Football Playoff #NationalChampionship? 🏈🏆 pic.twitter.com/awagPMJi0d
— College Football Playoff (@CFBPlayoff) December 3, 2023
Michigan and Washington being the top two seeds are no-brainers. The Wolverines and Huskies are two of the three undefeated teams (more on that later), not to mention they both won their respective conferences. Michigan dominated Iowa 26-0, while Washington upset the nine-point favorite Ducks 34-31 to defeat Oregon for the third time in the last 14 months.
As for Texas, they took care of business 49-21 over Oklahoma State in the Big 12 Championship Game. The Longhorns leave the Big 12 as conference champs for the first time since 2009. Texas was able to overcome an upset loss to the Oklahoma Sooners in the Red River Rivalry, thanks in part to their best win: 34-24 over the Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa. With Alabama continuing to win, including ultimately the SEC, the Longhorns held the ultimate trump card.
Which of course brings us to the most controversial selection: Alabama.
The Tide created mass chaos when they upset the two-time reigning national champion Georgia Bulldogs in the SEC Championship. Alabama ended Georgia’s record 29-game winning streak and dashed their hopes at a rare threepeat. The Bulldogs fell from No. 1 to No. 6 and out of the playoff entirely. Alabama finishing the year as 12-1 SEC champs helped propel them into the fourth and final playoff spot.
But of course, Alabama being let in means 13-0 Florida State is on the outside looking in. While I empathize with the frustration and anger of Florida State fans, is it is hard to argue that the Seminoles are one of the top four teams without their starter, Jordan Travis, who suffered a season-ending leg injury on Nov. 18. The Seminoles did finish the season 13-0 as the ACC champions, but an ugly 16-6 win over No. 14 Louisville yesterday behind a third-string quarterback was not impressive enough for the committee.
Had they been let in, they would have been massive underdogs to any of the top three teams.
The subjective nature of college football and having a committee determine the postseason will always bring controversy. There will always be arguments for those left out and against those let in. One thing we can’t argue is how excited we will be to ring in the new year with some legendary matchups.
