CHARLOTTE, NC – DECEMBER 07: On December 7, 2024, at Bank of America Stadium in Charlo, Clemson Tigers quarterback Cade Klubnik (2) displays the MVP award he received during the ACC championship football game between the SMU Mustangs and the Clemson Tigers.
In the College Football Playoffs, SMU secured the final available berth by defeating Alabama to secure a spot in a unique 12-team bracket that ranked undefeated Oregon at the top.
The Mustangs (11-2), who lost a heartbreaking game in the Atlantic Coast Conference championship game, were chosen by the selection committee because they had a far easier schedule than Alabama (9-3) of the SEC, but they were still one win away.
Although the Alabama-SMU argument demonstrated that there is no foolproof method for choosing a winner, the wider bracket ushers in a new era for college football.
“We just felt, in this particular case, SMU had the nod above Alabama,” noted Warde Manuel, the selection committee chair and athletic director at Michigan. “However, it doesn’t diminish Alabama’s schedule strength. We examined each team’s complete body of work.
Teams seeded 5–12 play four first-round matches in the competition, which begins Dec. 20–21. The national championship game in Atlanta on January 20 marks its conclusion.
Boise State, Arizona State, and Georgia join Oregon with first-round byes.
SEC champion Georgia received the second seed, Mountain West champion Boise State received the third, and Big 12 runner-up Arizona State received the fourth seed and the last first-round bye.
From December 31 to January 1, all will compete in the quarterfinals of bowl games.
With its thrilling victory over SMU, Clemson grabbed a bid and the 12th seed, which ultimately lost Alabama a spot in the field. The Tigers entered as the fifth-best conference winner, but they fell to No. 16 in the rankings.
In the first round, Texas, Penn State, Notre Dame, and Ohio State get home fields.
Since home-field advantage in the first round was decided by how the other teams were seeded, there was significant drama surrounding it. No. 10 Indiana plays No. 7 Notre Dame; No. 9 Tennessee plays No. 8 Ohio State; No. 12 Clemson plays No. 5 Texas; and No. 11 SMU plays No. 6 Penn State.
Alabama loses the most important discussion in the bracket.
With four teams, the Big Ten will be in first place, followed by the SEC with three and the ACC with two.
The choice that gave the ACC its second bid will be the most memorable aspect of the first bracket announcement.
A subset of college football fans thinks that practically every aspect of the game has been manipulated in recent years to benefit Alabama and the SEC. In the ten-year history of the playoffs, the Crimson Tide has won three national titles and advanced to the final eight times, including last year when it overcame Florida State, who was still undefeated, for the final four berths.
Supporters of the SEC contend that the league’s 16 teams and elite programs make the special treatment justified.For example, the Tide finished 3-1 versus teams in the top 25 this season and had the 16th hardest schedule. SMU’s stats: 0-2 versus the top 25 and 60th in terms of schedule strength.
The committee did, however, also state that it was hesitant to penalize clubs who compete in conference championship games. SMU did. Not in Alabama. And the 13 decision-makers were influenced by the Mustangs’ comeback from a three-touchdown deficit before ultimately falling short against Clemson.
“We were impressed with the fact that SMU came back the way they did,” Manuel stated. As they have done throughout the season, “they performed better in that second half offensively.”
The bracket was odd because of automatic bids and byes.
The idea of providing conference champions preferential priority in this initial 12-team playoff iteration was approved by conference commissioners. There is a compelling argument that requires modification.
The Mountain West champion Boise State was officially placed No. 9 by the committee, but the Broncos, who will play in the Fiesta Bowl on December 31, are the third seed. After rising from 12th place to the 4th seed, Arizona State will participate in the Peach Bowl on New Year’s.
Additionally, there is no reseeding of teams following each round, meaning that the Rose Bowl matchup between No. 1 Oregon and the Tennessee-Ohio State winner will take place. In one of the finest games of the season, Oregon defeated Ohio State 32-31 earlier this year.
Dan Lanning, the coach of Oregon, stated, “Winning a national championship is not supposed to be easy,” seemed unconcerned by the possible scenario.
Georgia, meanwhile, received the second seed and rating and will play in the Sugar Bowl on January 1. However, quarterback Carson Beck’s participation is uncertain due to a hand injury sustained during Saturday’s victory over Texas.
In the past, the committee has taken injuries into account, but it didn’t seem to have an impact on how it handled Georgia.
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The Associated Press provided the information for this article.
The Associated Press provided the information for this article.
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