The 2023-24 College Football Playoff (CFP) field has been announced amid surprises and anger. The Rose Bowl will host the #1 Michigan Wolverines vs the #4 Alabama Crimson Tide, meanwhile the #2 Washington Huskies will square off against the #3 Texas Longhorns in the Sugar Bowl.
While all four teams have a legitimate case to be among the top 4, that did not stop fans from criticizing why they made it. The team that got hurt the most was #5 Florida State. The Seminoles went 13-0 while capturing the ACC Championship on Dec. 2. Unfortunately, their star QB Jordan Travis got hurt on Nov. 18, and the CFP committee believed that this FSU team was not worthy of being top 4 without him. FSU coach Mike Norvell was “disgusted and infuriated” with the decision of being excluded from the CFP.
Alabama jumped up to grab the final spot after beating previously ranked #1 Georgia in the SEC Championship. The Crimson Tide were ranked #8, making them the first team ranked outside the top 6 in the penultimate ranking to make the CFP. Although they are the lowest ranked team, they have a great chance of beating top ranked Michigan.
The other three teams had less drama involved around them, as they all won their conference championships with ease. #1 Michigan destroyed Iowa 26-0 to win the Big Ten Championship. Georgia’s loss allowed the Wolverines to move up to #1. Their reward is a Rose Bowl matchup against the class of the sport in Alabama.
The #2 Huskies won the final game in Pac-12 history, defeating Oregon 34-31. Kalen DeBoer’s team is led by Heisman Trophy finalist Michael Penix Jr and a star-studded offense. The Huskies clawed their way to 13-0, as they had several close games throughout the 2nd half of the season.
The #3 Longhorns cruised to a Big 12 Championship, as they destroyed Oklahoma State 49-21. The Longhorns finished 12-1, including a statement win at Alabama back in September. That top-5 win allowed them to hold a top-10 spot, even when they lost to Oklahoma in early October.
Both games will take place on New Year’s Day. Until then, CFB fans will have to wait anxiously by watching the other 41 bowl games.