The most chaotic College Football Playoff selection process in the history of the event concluded Sunday, though there was little debate as to which program earned the No. 1 seed. Despite playing without coach Jim Harbaugh on the sideline across six games this season, Michigan (13-0) finished the campaign undefeated and captured the top seed in the playoff on the back of its third straight Big Ten championship win Saturday night.
Making their third consecutive playoff appearance, the Wolverines become just the fifth different team to enter the field at No. 1 in the nine-year history of the event and do so looking to advance to the CFP National Championship for the first time after being eliminated in the semifinals each of the last two seasons.
A similarly flawless — though less-dominant in scoring margin — season concluded for Washington (13-0) with a Pac-12 championship on Friday night. The Huskies earned the No. 2 seed as they return to the playoff for the first time since 2016, which also marks the last time a Pac-12 representative had a chance to compete for the national title. With the Pac-12 (as we know it, at least) going by the wayside after this season and UW off to the Big Ten, it also might be the last such representative.
Crashing the party this season is Texas (12-1), which captured the Big 12 championship and holds the best win of the season, a 10-point road victory at Alabama back in Week 2. The Longhorns, which are off to the SEC in 2024, enter as the No. 3 seed and play in their first playoff as the third different Big 12 team to ever make the field. Texas is the first team from outside the top six in the penultimate CFP Rankings to be elevated into the event.
After taking down two-time reigning national champion Georgia on Saturday to win the SEC championship, Alabama (12-1) has been afforded a spot in the playoff as a No. 4 seed. Though the Crimson Tide lost to the ‘Horns back on Sept. 9, they have been a different team over the second half of the season and took down No. 1 in the final week of games. Alabama is the second team from outside of the top six in the penultimate CFP Rankings to be elevated in the event, joining Texas.
Florida State (13-0) and Georgia (12-1) are slotted just outside the four-team field in the fifth and sixth spots, respectively. Though undefeated, the Seminoles suffered from the loss of star quarterback Jordan Travis and underwhelming performances in their final two games of the season. The Bulldogs lost their final game and become the first team listed at No. 1 in the penultimate CFP Rankings to be left out of the four-team field.
No. 1 Michigan will face No. 4 Alabama in the Rose Bowl semifinal, which will be held in Pasadena, California, on Jan. 1 with a 5 p.m. ET kickoff. No. 2 Washington and No. 3 Texas will also meet on New Year’s Day in the Sugar Bowl, which will be held in New Orleans with an 8:45 p.m. kickoff. The CFP National Championship is set for Monday, Jan. 8 at Reliant Stadium in Houston.
| Date | Game / Loc. | Matchup | Prediction |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Jan. 8 |
National Championship Houston |
Title game | Semifinal winners |
| Jan. 1 | Rose Bowl Pasadena, Calif. |
Semifinal | (1) Michigan vs. (4) Alabama |
|
Jan. 1 |
Sugar Bowl New Orleans |
Semifinal | (2) Washington vs. (3) Texas |
The playoff field may be set, but it’s not the only thing going on this postseason. Check out CBS Sports’ bowl projections as well as the entire 2023-24 bowl schedule.
