This year’s four-team playoff announcement is here and, as always, there’s bound to be someone left out in the cold. In 2018, it will be the Pac-12. The conference will not be represented in the College Football Playoff on December 29. It’s something that many see as a bigger issue for the conference. Besides the fact that the conference didn’t have the strongest teams this year, the Pac-12 Championship Game is played on a Friday in an unattractive venue in an inconvenient location. But that’s another post for another day.
Today, we find out who will be challenging Alabama for the national title.
There are many opinions as to who really belongs in the playoffs. Is it legitimate to let in a two-loss Georgia Bulldogs team that lost to LSU and Alabama in a conference title game, but leave out one loss Ohio State and Oklahoma, both of whom were conference champions? Was Clemson’s conference championship less legitimate because it was against an unranked Pittsburgh Panthers team? Where do you draw the line ?
The selection team will begin by announcing the four teams that will be playing in the college football semifinals at the Cotton Bowl in Arlington, Texas and the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida. Both games will take place on December 29 at either 1:00 pm or 5:00 pm PT. At this point, it’s pretty obvious that Alabama, Clemson, and Notre Dame are all in as the final undefeated teams in the 2018 season.
But, who gets that fourth spot? That remains to be seen and will surely cause controversy that will get football fans in an uproar for the next three and a half weeks.
We’ll then hear the rest of the New Year’s Six bowl announcements—the Rose Bowl, Fiesta Bowl, Sugar Bowl, and Peach Bowl. For the Rose Bowl, we know Washington will be taking on Big Ten champion Ohio State as long as they don’t leapfrog anyone, which they shouldn’t.
Other scenarios: Texas is automatically in the Sugar Bowl if Oklahoma gets a College Football Playoff spot, while the Michigan Wolverines would get to the Rose Bowl if Ohio State gets the playoff bid. But, if the Ohio State Buckeyes go to the Rose Bowl, which they should, Michigan goes to the Peach Bowl.
At any rate, there are 12 top spots in total in the New Year’s Six games, and it looks like only one Pac-12 school will get a spot.
Is this a problem?
It absolutely is. If you look at current rankings, the Washington State Cougars are ahead of the Texas Longhorns and behind three loss teams like the Florida Gators, the LSU Tigers, and the Penn State Nittany Lions. Is it fair to leave Washington State out, but send Florida and LSU to New Year’s Six Bowls?
You tell me. Check back for updates as bowls and match-ups are announced. This is your 2018 Selection Sunday Open Thread.
Go Bruins!
Update #1 - National Semifinalists:
Orange Bowl:
#1 Alabama Crimson Tide vs. #4 Oklahoma Sooners
Cotton Bowl:
#2 Clemson Tigers vs. #3 Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Update #2 - Polls:
College Football Polls, Week 15
Rank | AP Poll | Points | Last Week | Coaches Poll | Points | Last Week |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Rank | AP Poll | Points | Last Week | Coaches Poll | Points | Last Week |
1 | Alabama (61) | 1,525 | 1 | Alabama (62) | 1,598 | 1 |
2 | Clemson | 1,460 | 2 | Clemson (2) | 1,538 | 2 |
3 | Notre Dame | 1,405 | 3 | Notre Dame | 1,460 | 3 |
4 | Oklahoma | 1,327 | 5 | Oklahoma | 1,375 | 5 |
5 | Ohio State | 1,254 | 6 | Ohio State | 1,326 | 6 |
6 | Georgia | 1,247 | 4 | Georgia | 1,316 | 4 |
7 | UCF | 1,158 | 7 | UCF | 1,218 | 7 |
8 | Michigan | 1,076 | 8 | Michigan | 1,122 | 8 |
9 | Washington | 992 | 10 | Washington | 1,046 | 11 |
10 | Florida | 894 | 11 | Florida | 976 | 10 |
11 | LSU | 847 | 12 | LSU | 899 | 14 |
12 | Washington State | 845 | 12 | Penn State | 889 | 12 |
13 | Penn State | 773 | 14 | Washington State | 856 | 13 |
14 | Texas | 763 | 9 | Texas | 776 | 9 |
15 | West Virginia | 694 | 15 | Kentucky | 696 | 15 |
16 | Kentucky | 639 | 16 | West Virginia | 683 | 16 |
17 | Syracuse | 516 | 18 | Syracuse | 505 | 18 |
18 | Mississippi State | 375 | 20 | Mississippi State | 501 | 19 |
19 | Fresno State | 373 | 25 | Utah | 411 | 17 |
20 | Utah | 362 | 17 | Texas A&M | 388 | 22 |
21 | Texas A&M | 359 | 22 | Fresno State | 357 | 23 |
22 | Army | 209 | 23 | Northwestern | 159 | 21 |
23 | Boise State | 144 | 19 | Utah State | 125 | 24 |
24 | Missouri | 133 | NR | Boise State | 122 | 20 |
25 | Iowa State | 110 | 24 | Army | 114 | 25 |
Update #3:
College Football Playoff Final Rankings:
College Football Playoff Final Rankings
Rank | Team | Record |
---|---|---|
Rank | Team | Record |
1 | Alabama | 13-0 |
2 | Clemson | 13-0 |
3 | Notre Dame | 12-0 |
4 | Oklahoma | 12-1 |
5 | Georgia | 11-2 |
6 | Ohio State | 12-1 |
7 | Michigan | 10-2 |
8 | UCF | 12-0 |
9 | Washington | 10-3 |
10 | Florida | 9-3 |
11 | LSU | 9-3 |
12 | Penn State | 9-3 |
13 | Washington State | 10-2 |
14 | Kentucky | 9-3 |
15 | Texas | 9-4 |
16 | West Virginia | 8-3 |
17 | Utah | 9-4 |
18 | Mississippi State | 8-4 |
19 | Texas A&M | 8-4 |
20 | Syracure | 9-3 |
21 | Fresno State | 11-2 |
22 | Northwestern | 8-5 |
23 | Missouri | 8-4 |
24 | Iowa State | 8-4 |
25 | Boise State | 10-3 |