Did the 2023 College Football Playoff Committee Get it Right?
Pick four teams. How difficult could it be?
That is the mission of the 13-member College Football Playoff selection committee. While it can be a thankless job—yours truly certainly being a contributor to the issue, on occasion—the group is tasked with finalizing the programs that will compete for a national title.
Now through 10 years of the CFP era, three of the four selections have annually been routine. That group always includes well-respected undefeated or one-loss champions from a Power Five conference.
The final choice, however, has rarely been truly controversial. That's only been close to a real discussion in 2014 and slightly in 2016.
But it changed in 2023.
Florida State is without its quarterback yet boasts a 13-0 record. Alabama just beat top-ranked Georgia, but Bama previously lost to Texas. And just two of them could make the CFP with Michigan and Washington.
The committee's final verdict: Texas and Alabama.
So, did they get it right?
Ohio State Buckeyes
1 of 7
The Result: Ranked No. 7
Ohio State is worth mentioning, because it held an 11-1 record. The lone program listed here to not play a conference championship game, the Buckeyes entered at No. 6. Following the chaos of the weekend, they slipped down to seventh in the final rankings.
The Verdict: Expected
Short of wins by Washington, Georgia and Michigan with losses from Texas and Florida State (plus Oregon and Alabama, of course), the Buckeyes likely didn't have a possibility of sliding into the Top Four anyway.
Alabama's win effectively sealed Ohio State's fate, which is a 10th straight trip to a New Year's Six bowl.
Georgia Bulldogs
2 of 7
The Result: Ranked No. 6
Had both Florida State and Texas lost, Georgia probably could've made the Top Four despite its loss to Alabama.
Destiny cannot be controlled, however, and the Dawgs headed to Selection Day in a shadow of doubt. Ultimately, they dropped from a perch atop the CFP rankings down to sixth.
The Verdict: Understood
Georgia snuck into the CFP as a 12-1 non-champion two years ago. Context matters, though, and the 2021 conversation included three Power Five winners with two-plus losses.
This season, the rest of the nation did not cooperate.
"Win your conference" is an oversimplification of the CFP process. But in 2023, that's a fair measurement—and UGA fell short.
Florida State Seminoles
3 of 7
The Result: Ranked No. 5
Wow.
Despite surviving a season-ending injury to star quarterback Jordan Travis, the Seminoles beat Florida in the finale and Louisville in the ACC Championship Game to finish 13-0 as a conference champion.
In the final rankings, however, FSU dropped behind Alabama and is the first team out of the CFP.
The Verdict: Wrong, Wrong, Wrong
You absolutely cannot leave out an undefeated power-conference team. Otherwise, your process stinks.
Fortunately for college football fans, that particular topic is set to disappear. The likely inclusion of automatic bids for P5 champions in the expanded 12-team CFP means that, beginning in 2024, a program in FSU's position would already be guaranteed a spot.
Never before had an unblemished P5 winner been left out.
That changed on Sunday.
Strictly from a competition perspective, it's understandable—and arguably correct. Florida State simply is not as strong a contender without Travis, who's sidelined for the season.
But the process stunk. Leaving out an unbeaten P5 champ? Terrible.
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Alabama Crimson Tide
4 of 7
The Result: Ranked No. 4
Eighth-ranked Alabama needed a win in the SEC title game to have a chance, and the Crimson Tide made it happen.
During an even showdown, a lone turnover made the difference. Georgia mishandled the ball on a single play, and Alabama's Trezmen Marshall—a transfer from UGA, by the way—pounced on the fumble. The takeaway led to a critical field goal in Bama's 27-24 victory.
As a result, the Crimson Tide immediately leapt Ohio State, Oregon and Georgia in the CFP picture. The lone question, once FSU, was whether Alabama would land in front of Texas.
The Verdict: Uncomfortable
And the answer was Bama did just that.
Look, I have no competitive issue with the Crimson Tide in the College Football Playoff. They'll very likely give Michigan a better game than an FSU squad down its quarterback.
Read it again, please: Alabama is a CFP-caliber team.
Simultaneously, the Crimson Tide ended as the least deserving option. If we're simply picking the four strongest teams on paper, why bother ranking anyone at any point during the season? In that case, just wait until December next year to release the 12 teams.
Texas Longhorns
5 of 7
The Result: Ranked No. 3
After walloping Oklahoma State early on Saturday, the Longhorns returned home in a promising spot.
Fifth-ranked Oregon lost to Washington, and sixth-ranked Ohio State didn't make the Big Ten championship. So, seventh-ranked Texas knew it would be no worse than fifth—but needed help.
Alabama provided some assistance first.
The Verdict: Defensible
As long as the Longhorns were in the field, whether they landed third or fourth didn't faze me.
Behind the unbeaten Power Five champions, the Horns had a perfectly simple argument when compared to Alabama: We played you, and we beat you—and better yet, we did that in your own building.
There's also precedent for a one-loss team to rank higher than an unbeaten squad, dating back to 2014 (Florida State, incidentally) and 2021 (Cincinnati). I wouldn't have had a problem with Texas over FSU. It's the other part of that conversation.
Washington Huskies
6 of 7
The Result: Ranked No. 2
Washington went to the Pac-12 title game with a simple outlook: Win, and you're in. And the Dawgs took care of business.
Though a 20-3 lead on Oregon slipped to a 24-20 deficit, Washington—as the team has basically done for two months—found a way in the fourth quarter. Heisman Trophy candidate Michael Penix Jr. guided a pair of touchdown drives, and the Dawgs ultimately held on for a 34-31 win.
The victory basically ensured UW would be slotted no worse than third in the final rankings, and Georgia's loss bumped the Huskies' worst-case scenario to No. 2.
The Verdict: Obvious
Given that Washington had played a constant game of survival during the past two months, it's no surprise that Michigan is ranked ahead of the Dawgs.
But, again, they consistently survived.
Washington slotted in second, as expected, and will be making a long trip to Louisiana for a clash with Texas in the Sugar Bowl.
Michigan Wolverines
7 of 7
The Result: Ranked No. 1
While the strength of Iowa's defense meant Michigan likely wasn't going to steamroll the Hawkeyes, the result of the Big Ten Championship—just as anticipated—was never in doubt, either.
Iowa had no answers on offense, mustering just 155 yards at a measly 2.8 per snap. Blake Corum tallied a pair of rushing touchdown in the 26-0 shutout win.
Similar to Washington, Michigan jumped one projected spot because of Georgia's loss to Alabama.
The Verdict: Earned
Relative to No. 1, it's not even a conversation. Michigan was consistently the most overwhelming team in the country.
The bigger story, truly, is where the Maize and Blue are playing in the national semifinal.
Michigan landed in the Rose Bowl—a classic Big Ten destination—even though the highest-ranked team doesn't actually have a pick. The selection committee determines the matchups.
Washington could've been sent to (relatively) nearby California, but Michigan is heading to Pasadena for a clash with Bama instead.
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