The College Football Playoff final selection took place on Sunday afternoon, announcing, most importantly, the four-team field that will determine the national champion. Michigan football took the top spot, followed by Washington, Texas, and then, to everybody's surprise, Alabama.
It may go down as one of the most intriguing and intense final selections since the inception of the playoff format. Nothing has quite been speculated and debated upon this much during a final ranking since probably the BCS era when it all came down to just two teams voted in instead of four. The committee will undoubtedly be questioned for the next decade on their decision to leave a 13-0 Power Five conference champion Florida State team out in favor of a one-loss Alabama conference champion team.
But the committee has spoken, and now it's time to move on to determine who will walk out of Houston with the trophy, starting with the semifinal Rose Bowl and Sugar Bowl matchups.
Rose Bowl: No. 4 Alabama vs. No. 1 Michigan
With Alabama knocking former No. 1 Georgia all the way down to No. 6, that makes the Wolverines the new No. 1 team in the country. But do they really feel like the best team in the country next to a red-hot and resurgent Alabama team? That remains to be seen.
Nick Saban's Crimson Tide team has been getting better by the week since their loss to Texas. A lot of that has to do with the improvement of Alabama's offensive line and the complete turnaround of quarterback Jalen Milroe. Will the stout Michigan defense be able to handle him?
Michigan's last two appearances in the College Football Playoff have not gone their way. They were boat-raced by Georgia two years ago, 34-11, then were shocked by TCU last year in a shootout, 51-45. They're also 0-4 against the SEC in their last four meetings.
Jim Harbaugh and Nick Saban both on their respective sidelines in the Rose Bowl representing two of the most winningest programs in college football history feels as big as it can get. However, with Alabama football finding their way back in, this feels like the team to beat right now.
Prediction: Alabama 29, Michigan 20
Sugar Bowl: No. 3 Texas vs. No. 2 Washington
Leading up to the season, all the talk seemed to be that — even though nobody wanted to outright say it due to jinxing it — that Texas was back. Texas beating Alabama earlier in the season in Tuscaloosa certainly didn't help matters, leaving many having to bite their tongues wanting to utter those famous words. But then Alabama started to struggle thereafter, which left everything in question.
Then the Longhorns likewise lost to archrival Oklahoma in the Red River Rivalry game. Honestly, if not for the committee having to put Alabama in the top four, then Texas football could have still been on the outside looking in. That's why the Longhorns' victory over the Crimson Tide became even bigger.
Washington, meanwhile, has done nothing but just beat multiple ranked teams and honestly may have the best resume of anyone in the top four. They're 13-0 and will be the last representatives of the Pac-12 conference after it made its final bow as a conference in the Pac-12 title game, where the Huskies once again prevailed over Oregon.
Washington head coach Kalen DeBoer has completely turned around the Huskies' program, who were 4-8 the season before he arrived. Now two seasons in, he has gone 24-2 and 9-0 against ranked opponents. Could DeBoer and Washington make it 10-0 and have the Huskies making their first appearance in a national title game since 1991? Or will Steve Sarkisian finally be able to say that Texas is back?
This one's a little tougher to call because the Huskies keep proving themselves in big moments. But this Texas team is talented throughout, which gives the edge to the Longhorns.
Prediction: Texas 38, Washington 35
College Football Playoff National Championship — Alabama vs. Texas
Texas and Alabama's matchup in Week 2 was ESPN's most-watched game in almost a decade, delivering 8.8 million viewers on ESPN and ESPN2. Don't think that wasn't on the committee's minds when voting on the final four. There's definitely hope that a rematch happens, and ESPN, who will be taking over SEC broadcasts next fall, along with the national championship game this year, will most definitely love it thanks to Texas joining the conference next season if this game ends up happening.
But this would for sure be the one that most fans and analysts are probably hoping for, not just those in management at ESPN. It's two very similar teams in terms of overall talent and structure facing off against one another for the greatest prize in the sport.
It would be yet again another matchup between Saban and one of his former assistants, and we all know how that usually goes. It's hard to imagine Saban losing twice to Sarkisian and Texas in the same season. Alabama wins their 19th national championship.
Prediction: Alabama 42, Texas 40
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