After a wild championship week in college football, all of the games that will determine which four teams will make the College Football Playoff are complete.
And, boy, are there some hard decisions to make.
In some ways, it might be fitting for chaos to be a part of the ending equation to this last year of the current format when only four teams get a crack at it as a glorified “and one.” Years like this are the very reason the format needs to change, and will, beginning next season when the 12-team format kicks in.
But that does little to address the problem ahead of the CFP committee this season. Almost all of the top eight teams have an argument to be included in the field (even Oregon because of a loss to the same team twice). At some point, things have to be taken into consideration with such a razor thin margin.
We feel pretty good about Oregon being left out in the cold after losing to Washington in the Pac-12 Championship game, and it’ll take new precedents for Ohio State to get in. But what’s the rest of the order after Alabama upset Georgia in the SEC Championship game, Texas blew the doors off Oklahoma State in the Big 12 title game, Michigan held serve against Iowa in the Big Ten, and Florida State took care of business in the ACC Championship game?
You can bank on undefeated teams Michigan and Washington being in the field, but what about undefeated FSU and four one-loss teams left over for two final spots?
Here is how we see the College Football Playoff rankings that will send four teams on a continued journey to win a national championship shaking out on Sunday.