GRAPEVINE, Texas - The College Football Playoff selection committee announced its final top four of the season, and No. 1 Alabama, No. 2 Clemson, No. 3 Ohio State and No. 4 Washington will be headed to semifinal games. The only change to the top four was that Clemson jumped the Buckeyes after beating Virginia Tech in the ACC championship.
The selection committee's top six
1. Alabama
2. Clemson
3. Ohio State
4. Washington
5. Penn State
6. Michigan
A change in protocol for committee?
The committee's top six was vastly different from the first two years of the CFP because for the first time, a team that didn't win its conference title, Ohio State, was included -- instead of the Big Ten champ, Penn State. At 11-1, Ohio State impressed the committee with three wins against top 25 teams, including a road win over Big 12 champ Oklahoma. In spite of the committee's high regard for the Big Ten this season, which could make the case as the best league in the country, it left out the conference's champ. It also looked past Michigan's decisive 49-10 head-to-head win over Penn State when it ranked the Nittany Lions ahead of Michigan. Penn State will be going to the Rose Bowl as the Big Ten champs.
The committee's final verdict calls into question not only the importance of conference championships, but also head-to-head results (as Penn State also beat Ohio State), and strength of schedule (Washington's nonconference strength of schedule was No. 127 out of 128 according to ESPN's Stats & Information group.) All of those criteria are listed specifically in the selection committee's protocol, and while it's a completely subjective, ambiguous system left in the hands of 12 individuals, this ranking is likely to confuse fans, coaches and athletic directors across the country.
Nowhere does it say in the committee's protocol, though, that a team has to be a conference champion to be in the top four.
Playoff impact games
Friday, Dec. 2
Pac-12 championship game: No. 4 Washington 41, No. 8 Colorado 10
Saturday, Dec. 3
SEC championship game: No. 1 Alabama 54, No. 15 Florida 16
ACC championship game: No. 3 Clemson 42, No. 23 Virginia Tech 35
Big Ten championship game: No. 7 Penn State 38, Wisconsin 31