The field is set. Let the debate begin.
Going into the day, there were three teams we all had a feeling were going to make it: Bama, Clemson, and Notre Dame. The fourth spot, however, was where everyone was debating who should get it, Georgia, Oklahoma, or Ohio State. If Georgia won the SEC Championship, I believe it would've been Clemson #1, Notre Dame #2, Georgia #3, and Bama #4. Bama has made it every year the playoff has been around, and even if they lost to Georgia, they were too good to be left out.
However, the teams that made it were the original top three, and then Oklahoma. Look, Georgia is a more talented team, but there is no way a team with two losses and doesn't win the conference should make it in over a one loss conference champion. Oklahoma avenged their only loss of the season, and that showed they got better. Ohio State really had no chance of getting it, unless if Oklahoma Bama AND Clemson lost. That loss to Purdue really hurt them.
In the end, the teams with the best resumés made the final cut. I think the Clemson and Notre Dame game will be competitive, with Clemson pulling it out in the end. That teams been here before, and knows how to play on the big stage. I think Oklahoma, despite their high powered offense, is going to get destroyed by Bama. I like Oklahoma, I think Kyler Murray will win the heisman and Lincoln Riley is a good coach, but the fact they give up 30 points every game will hurt them. Saban is a better coach then Riley, and this game will show it. This will lead to another Clemson-Alabama Championship. Yay. How unpredictable.
This year proves that there needs to be an expansion for the playoffs. Its tough to have a playoff for the championship when one of the power five conferences atomically gets left out because theres 4 spots. Throw Notre Dame in the mix, who is independent, and now two conferences get left out. It should start at 8 teams, with the 5 power conference champions making it, then a group of 5 team, followed by two "wild" card teams. For this year, the teams would Bama, Clemson, Ohio State, Washington, Oklahoma, UCF, Notre Dame, and Michigan. Then, based off the college football playoff rankings, thats how the teams would be seeded. Another way of doing it with 8 teams would just the 8 highest ranked CFP teams. Either way, people will complain. Make the season one or two games shorter, so they can add an extra playoff game.
Either way, I expect this years playoffs to be exciting.
