Chaos Comes!

12/04/2023

By: Jeff Yoder

#8 Alabama Upsets #1 Georgia & #7 Texas Leaps #4 Florida State to Bounce Seminoles From CFB Playoff

Chaos comes! A wild range of potential College Football Playoff scenarios was possible entering the weekend, and the result was nothing short of tomfoolery. After 29 straight wins, #1 Georgia won’t be dancing in the CFB Playoff thanks to #8 Alabama’s win in the SEC Championship. #2 Michigan was a blowout winner over #16 Iowa. #3 Washington held off #5 Oregon for a second time. But the chaos came when #7 Texas blew the doors off #18 Oklahoma State, and #4 Florida State limped to the finish line of an unbeaten regular season with a third-string quarterback who threw for less than 100 yards.

When the dust settled, the committee nixed unbeaten Florida State in favor of one-loss teams in Texas and Alabama, plus undefeated Michigan and Washington.

Conference Championships

SEC: #8 Alabama def. #1 Georgia (27-24)

Big Ten: #2 Michigan def. #16 Iowa (26-0)

Pac-12: #3 Washington def. #5 Oregon (34-31)

ACC: #4 Florida State def. #14 Louisville (16-6)

Big 12: #7 Texas def. #18 Oklahoma State (49-21)

The CFB Playoff (Top-4)

1. Michigan (13-0)

2. Washington (13-0)

3. Texas (12-1)

4. Alabama (12-1)

___________________

5. Florida State (13-0)

6. Georgia (12-1)

7. Ohio State (11-1)

8. Oregon (11-2)

9. Missouri (10-2)

10. Penn State (10-2)

11. Ole Miss (10-2)

12. Oklahoma (10-2)

*Teams ranked 1-8 only lost to teams in the top 12 all season long.

The Florida State Controversy: For those wondering how FSU missed out despite their 13-0 undefeated season, two words — Jordan Travis. The Seminoles lost their star quarterback in November, and even though they kept winning, they looked like a shell of themselves on offense. FSU also failed to play a team that ended up in the top-12, and they were the only top-12 team to not face another top-12 team.

Inside the Committee’s Why-Factor

Let’s rewind: Michigan and Washington are unbeaten with massive wins against quality opponents, including two top-10 finishers, each. They’re obvious selections for #1 and #2 after the dust settles. The next three or four teams are where it gets interesting. Alabama earns the nod at #4 because they dethroned Georgia, and I think that’s warranted. The Texas vs. Florida State debate comes down to the eye test. The Longhorns are healthy and they’ve won their last two in blowout fashion. The Seminoles’ unbeaten record gives them every right to claim that fourth spot, but their offense looked well below CFB Playoff quality in the last two weeks.

Fun Fact: It’s the first time in the history of the CFB Playoff that any time jumped into the top 4 from outside the top 6 in the final weekend, and it happened twice (#7 Texas & #8 Alabama).

This is tough if you’re a Florida State fan. All the more reason why a 12-team playoff is in the future. You can get a glimpse of how awesome that would’ve been this season by looking at the top 12 teams above. For now, it’s one team from four major conferences — Michigan (Big Ten), Washington (Pac-12), Alabama (SEC) and Texas (Big 12). Next stop? The Heisman Trophy ceremony (Sat. Dec. 8).

New Year’s Six Bowl Games

#9 Missouri vs. #7 Ohio State (Fri. Dec. 29)

#11 Ole Miss vs. #10 Penn State (Sat. Dec. 30)

#6 Georgia vs. #5 Florida State (Sat. Dec. 30)

#23 Liberty vs. #8 Oregon (Mon. Jan. 1)

CFB Semifinals

#4 Alabama vs. #1 Michigan (Mon, Jan. 1)

#3 Texas vs. #2 Washington( Mon. Jan. 1)

CFP Championship Game (Mon. Jan. 8)

CBS Sports: Nick Saban Empathizes With Florida State Snub After ‘Bama Sneaks Into Playoff
ESPN: CFB Playoff Preview: Michigan vs. Alabama & Washington vs. Texas

Photo: Todd Kirkland / Getty Images