NCAA FB

College Football Playoff committee selects Michigan, Washington, Texas, Alabama

Dec 3, 2023, 10:53 AM

Michigan, Washington, Texas and Alabama were selected to the College Football Playoff on Sunday, making Florida State the first unbeaten Power Five conference champion to be excluded from the four-team field.

Michigan will face Alabama in the Rose Bowl and Washington will play Texas in the Sugar Bowl in the Jan. 1 CFP semifinals. The national championship will be decided Jan. 8 against Houston.

The final season of the four-team playoff before it expands to 12 next year presented the CFP selection committee with its toughest decision in the 10-year history of the postseason system.

The Seminoles (13-0) lost star quarterback Jordan Travis to a season-ending injury two weeks ago, but continued to win with a backup and then a third-string quarterback. But the committee is instructed to judge the teams for what they are heading into the playoff and decided FSU without Travis was not among the best four in the country.

That steered the committee to Alabama, which upset Georgia to win the Southeastern Conference championship, and Big 12 champion Texas, which beat the Crimson Tide on the road in September.

No matter which team was left out it would have had a good argument to get in. That created unprecedented controversy.

The SEC had never missed the playoff. Alabama, which is in for the eighth time, kept that streak alive.

Texas would have been just the second Power Five team with only one loss to be left out. Instead, the Longhorns will be making their first appearance in the CFP in their last season as a member of the Big 12. Texas moves to the SEC next year.

Big Ten champion Michigan is making its third straight appearance in the CFP, still looking for its first playoff victory.

Washington is in the CFP for the second time, breaking the Pac-12’s playoff drought after six years, and doing so the year before it leaves the conference for the Big Ten.

Florida State, which was No. 4 in the previous CFP rankings, appeared to be on the way to its second playoff appearance in mid-November when the trajectory of their season changed drastically. Travis suffered a serious injury in the first quarter against North Alabama and was lost for the year.

The Seminoles beat rival Florida last week with backup quarterback Tate Rodemaker playing. Then Rodemaker missed the ACC championship against Louisville with a concussion. Florida State stayed unbeaten with a strong defensive performance, but scored only one touchdown.

NCAA FB

Head coach Jedd Fisch of the Arizona Wildcats walks the sidelines during the second half of the NCA...

Arizona Sports

Arizona football coach Jedd Fisch accepts Washington Huskies job

Arizona football head coach Jedd Fisch is the new man in charge of the Washington Huskies, the university confirmed Sunday.

11 months ago

Salpointe Catholic defensive end Keona Wilhite announced he is decommitting from Washington and reo...

David Veenstra

Salpointe Catholic defensive end Keona Wilhite decommits from Washington

Salpointe Catholic defensive end Keona Wilhite announced he has decommitted from Washington and reopened his commitment on Sunday.

11 months ago

Centennial edge rusher Noah Carter, a four-star recruit, announced he is decommitting from Washingt...

David Veenstra

Centennial High School 4-star recruit Noah Carter decommits from Washington

Centennial High School's Noah Carter, a four-star recruit and the No. 5 player from Arizona, decommitted from Washington on Saturday.

11 months ago

Washington head coach Kalen DeBoer watches during the first half of the national championship NCAA ...

Associated Press

Alabama set to hire Washington’s Kalen DeBoer to replace Nick Saban as its next football coach

Alabama is expected to hire Kalen DeBoer to replace Nick Saban as its next head coach. DeBoer led Washington to an undefeated regular season.

11 months ago

Head coach Nick Saban...

Associated Press

Alabama’s Nick Saban retiring after winning 7 national championships

Alabama coach Nick Saban is retiring after winning more national championships than any other major college football coach.

11 months ago

J.J. McCarthy and Blake Corum spearheaded Michigan's attack which beat Alabama in the Rose Bowl. (P...

Associated Press

Michigan tops Alabama in overtime of Rose Bowl, clinches CFP Final appearance

Behind a Blake Corum touchdown in overtime, Michigan clinched its first appearance in the CFP championship game with a victory over Alabama.

11 months ago

College Football Playoff committee selects Michigan, Washington, Texas, Alabama