After the chaos that ensued in Week 14, with upset victories taking place, college football fans now know who will be in the College Football Playoff.
Who is in the College Football Playoff?
What caused the uncertainty going into the College Football Playoff announcement was number eight Alabama Crismon Tide’s upset win over number one Georgia Bulldogs to win the SEC Championship game.
That left the door open for the committee to debate whether the Big 12 Champion Texas Longhorns get in over Alabama. Another topic was whether ACC Champion Florida State Seminoles should get in, as they are undefeated but don’t have Jordan Travis at quarterback.
With all the decisions now complete, let’s take a look at who made the College Football Playoff.
Michigan Wolverines
Despite not having head coach Jim Harbaugh on the sidelines for six of their 13 games this season, the Michigan Wolverines were able to go undefeated and win the Big Ten title over the Iowa Hawkeyes, 26-0. Michigan has gone through controversy and hurdles all season, never letting any of it get in the way of their revenge tour against the NCAA.
Statistically, Michigan had the second-best defense in the country, averaging 239.7 yards per game during the season. Eight times during the season, they held a team to single-digit points. They only had two games, which were one-possession games. They were the most dominant team in the country, and it wasn’t even close.
Washington Huskies
The Pac-12 flexed their muscles during the regular season as they went out as arguably the best conference in the country. The Washington Huskies came out on top of the conference, going undefeated at 13-0, including winning the Pac-12 Championship game over the Oregon Ducks, 34-31, Friday.
Their first four games were all won by Washington by double-digits as they got off to a fast start. Once they hit conference play, it was tough sledding, but they were able to fight their way to winning every game of the season. Washington’s offense was ranked 11th in total offense with 469.1 yards per game but was the best passing team in the country, averaging 343.8 yards per game.
That is thanks to their Heisman candidate quarterback, Michael Penix Jr., who finished with 4,218 yards passing and 33 touchdowns.
Texas Longhorns
Fans have been waiting for the Texas Longhorns to make their official “we’re back” moment since former quarterback Sam Ehlinger shouted it out after the Sugar Bowl win in 2019. Well, it’s safe to say they have returned in 2023 after finishing the season with a 12-1 record on the season and a commanding Big 12 Championship game win over Oklahoma State, 49-21, on Saturday.
The only loss for Texas on the season was their 34-30 game to the Oklahoma Sooners.
What helped them get into the College Football Playoff was their early season 34-24 win over top-five ranked Alabama. That head-to-head win against the Crimson Tide and Alabama beating Georgia in the SEC Title game helped the Longhorns hold the head-to-head victory.
Alabama Crimson Tide
The SEC Champion Alabama Crimson Tide didn’t have a stellar start to the season, but they turned things around and won the SEC Title over Georgia Bulldogs 27-24 on Saturday. They ended up finishing the season at 12-1 with four wins against teams in the top 25.
One glaring loss for Alabama was their early season loss to the Texas Longhorns 34-24, which put the Crimson Tide on a temporary downward spiral. Their quarterback, Jalen Milroe, lost his job for one game before getting it back and shined like a star down the stretch.
Being part of one of the most competitive conferences in college football in the SEC sure did help get Alabama back in the playoffs once again.