By Nick Grunewald, WC Sports Editor
MACOMB, Illinois (Western Courier) – In the last year of a 4-team playoff format, it was only right that the College Football Playoff committee gave us enough chaos to last a lifetime.
Michigan claimed the No.1 spot, capping off a perfect 13-0 season with a 26-0 shutout of the Iowa Hawkeyes – capturing their third straight Big Ten title. Washington followed behind at No.2 after taking down Oregon 34-31 to win the Pac-12 – their second win over the Ducks this season.
Texas claimed the third seed with a dominant win over Oklahoma State in the Big 12 title game, snapping a 14 year drought since the school last won a conference championship – all in their final season as the Longhorns depart for the SEC in 2024.
The final spot available was where all the drama kicked into gear. After finishing 13-0 and capturing the ACC, Florida State found themselves on the outside looking in as Alabama walked away with the fourth and final spot available, setting up a showdown with the Wolverines in the Rose Bowl.
Here’s a look at the schedule for the playoff’s semifinals on New Year’s Day:
- No.1 Michigan vs. No. 4 Alabama in the Rose Bowl, 5:00 p.m. ET
- No.2 Washington vs. No. 3 Texas in the Sugar Bowl, 8:45 p.m. ET
FSU Left Out
The decision by the committee to leave FSU home sent shock waves through the sports world and drew outrage across the college football landscape, including from Florida State’s own Jordan Travis:
Florida State became the first undefeated Power 5 conference champion to miss out on the playoffs. How many teams can say that they took care of business week-in and week-out for an entire 13 week season?
Jordan Travis isn’t wrong in the fact that results matter, but you’ve also got to pass the eye test and that’s something the Seminoles couldn’t do in their two games without their Heisman hopeful.
They lost their backup quarterback to a concussion in a close win against Florida and then struggled to even pick up a first down in the first half of the ACC title game against Louisville before sneaking out with an unimpressive 16-6 win.
The situation stinks for anyone in the FSU locker room and fans looking on. Is it fair to be left out simply because of one injury – albeit to your most important player – after not suffering a loss the entire season? Just like in life; not everything is fair, but does that make it wrong?
The four best teams should be competing for a national championship come the end of the season, and while Florida State may have been in that conversation for a majority of the season, the hard yet simple truth is – without Jordan Travis they’re not the same group, and the committee knew this too.
“Florida State is not the same team that they were for the first 11 weeks of the season,” CFP chairman Boo Corrigan said.
For the final spot, the committee had to go with the team that it felt was better-equipped in the playoffs and had a better season overall. Despite the one loss to Texas earlier in the year, that was very clearly Alabama at this moment in time.
