Georgia, Michigan, TCU and Ohio State will play for the nationwide championship after being chosen for the College Football Playoff on Sunday.
After not enjoying in a convention championship recreation, the Buckeyes (11-1) moved up one spot following USC’s loss within the Pac-12 title recreation Friday to present the Big Ten two playoff groups for the primary time within the format’s nine-year historical past.
“How we got here, at this point, I guess doesn’t really matter now that we’re here,” Ohio State coach Ryan Day stated.
No. 4 Ohio State will face No. 1 Georgia within the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, and No. 2 Michigan will face No. 3 TCU within the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl on Dec. 31.
The CFP National Championship introduced by AT&T can be performed Jan. 9 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.
TCU (12-1) held on to its No. 3 rating after shedding in time beyond regulation within the Big 12 championship recreation to Kansas State. The Horned Frogs and Buckeyes are the fifth and sixth groups to make the College Football Playoff with out profitable a convention title.
Horned Frogs coach Sonny Dykes stated he was involved about his workforce’s playoff standing after the loss however added that he had religion within the choice committee.
At a watch occasion for TCU gamers and staffers at its Fort Worth, Texas, campus, cheers broke out when the Frogs landed within the bracket throughout the announcement present.
“We had a little bit of a sleepless night, but appreciate the committee’s confidence in our players and our program,” Dykes stated Sunday. “I think it’s all you can ask for at the beginning of the season.”
Alabama (10-2) had hoped to make a leap into the highest 4 following USC’s and TCU’s losses, with coach Nick Saban lobbying for his workforce Saturday.
“If we played any of those teams that are on the edge of getting in, would we be the underdogs or the favorite?” Saban stated on Fox at halftime of the Big Ten championship.
The Crimson Tide have been ranked fifth by the choice committee.
Committee chairman Boo Corrigan, the athletic director at NC State, stated Ohio State’s huge wins over Penn State and Notre Dame helped push the Buckeyes in over Alabama.
“As we looked at the total body of work, the committee was comfortable with Ohio State at No. 4 and Alabama at 5,” Corrigan stated in an interview on ESPN.
Corrigan additionally informed ESPN’s Heather Dinich that probably having three groups (TCU, Alabama and Ohio State) with out convention titles modified the dialog some within the room as they debated the deserves of every.
“Obviously it’s going to change some because it’s different than what it’s been in the past,” he stated, “but our goal is to look at the totality of the games that are played.”
Corrigan stated there was important dialogue round Alabama, however with out convention titles, extra consideration was given to résumés. TCU’s regular-season win over Kansas State loomed giant within the ultimate determination — the committee was impressed by the Horned Frogs’ comeback and 10-point victory margin — however Corrigan stated that was just one instance of what impressed the committee.
“You think about TCU in the game against Baylor, getting on the field, running on the field, kicking the field goal speaks to a disciplined team, a well-rounded team,” he stated. “We’re trying to look at everything we can as we go into this.”
Georgia (13-0) and Michigan (13-0) are within the playoff for the second straight 12 months. They gained their respective convention title video games handily Saturday and can look to turn into the fourth workforce to win the CFP with an undefeated report.
The solely time Georgia and Ohio State have beforehand performed was within the 1992 Citrus Bowl, a 21-14 Bulldogs victory. TCU, whose solely nationwide title got here in 1938, has by no means performed Michigan.
The Wolverines had loads of reward for their semifinal opponent after quite a lot of gamers watched Saturday’s Big 12 championship recreation.
“Max Duggan, he is an incredible participant,” Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy stated, “but it will be awesome to see how he shapes up against our defense. I always look at other quarterbacks to see if I can take bits and pieces from their game and add it to mine. Max, he’s a tough dude. Seeing him run the ball, especially on those last couple of drives, it was really standing out and realizing, ‘Hey, it’s Big 12, but there will be opportunity for me to use my legs.'”
Michigan additionally needs to take one other step ahead after reaching the semifinals final season earlier than being blown out by Georgia.
“That ultimate goal, we really weren’t shooting for that national championship last year,” McCarthy stated. “It was to beat Ohio State, win a Big Ten championship, but this year, we’re shooting for it, and we’re going to go get it.”
Corrigan stated the committee didn’t make any particular effort to keep away from having a rematch of Ohio State and Michigan in a semifinal. The Buckeyes and Wolverines have by no means performed exterior of their annual regular-season recreation in a rivalry that dates again to 1902.
ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg and The Associated Press contributed to this report.