The last year of the four-team College Football Playoff structure resulted in the most complex debate in the format’s history.
The committee announced the four playoff teams would be the Michigan Wolverines, Washington Huskies, Texas Longhorns, and Alabama Crimson Tide.
Florida State, who finished 13-0, finished fifth in the rankings. The Georgia Bulldogs, who were No. 1 in the rankings before the conference championship games, fell all the way to sixth.
The argument for the final two spots surely consumed most of the night for the College Football Playoff committee. Michigan and Washington, both dominant and undefeated, were automatic selections, but any combination of the final two spots would break a previous precedent established in other years.
Florida State won the ACC Championship, now the first undefeated Power 5 team ever left out of the playoff. They lost starting quarterback Jordan Travis for the season to a broken leg in their final home game, however, creating a popular argument that they are no longer one of the four best teams.
Alabama defeated Georgia to win the SEC, and no SEC champion has ever missed the playoff, but they were competing for one of the final spots with Texas, who defeated them by two scores in their home stadium earlier in the season.
At the end of the day, the committee’s decision shows the criteria truly does come down to the “best four teams,” not the “four most deserving,” as the committee has said over and over throughout the year. The wrinkle that injuries and strength of schedule can outweigh an undefeated record is sure to shake up scheduling and conference alignment in the future, especially with the best programs in college football already starting to consolidate in the same two or three conferences.