Most college football fans know by now what happened to Florida State this year. They won every game they played, they played in a “Power Five” conference, as though that denotation means anything, and they were still not selected to play in the 4-team playoff. This snub is unprecedented. However, the College Football Playoff’s 13-member committee sees something different. Their interests have aligned more with a different party this time. When TCU surprised the slightly-favored Michigan Wolverines and made it to the title game against Georgia last January, it was all the various sports networks could do to convince viewers that TCU would hold up and make it a good game against the powerhouse that was the Georgia Bulldogs. With a score of 38-7 in favor of Georgia at the half, it’s safe to say viewership likely declined. And what makes the college football world go ‘round? The chance to advertise to those eager viewers, who are predisposed to the idea that any two teams to make it that far must be evenly matched. This year, I suspect, the committee decided their greatest fear was to see a repeat of that.
Michigan enters the CFP as the #1 seed this time, following an undefeated season, defeating two top-ten opponents in Penn State and Ohio State, capped with a blanking of Iowa in the Big Ten Championship game. This is their 3rd consecutive year making the CFP and they are the only team who can claim that. Not without plenty of drama this season, the Michigan program has found itself at the center of multiple off-the-field scandals. Despite the Wolverines’ Head Coach, Jim Harbaugh missing 6 total games this season, the team continues to prevail. They will face a rising juggernaut from the SEC, Alabama on January 1st, 2024 as slight favorites.
The #2 seed, the undefeated Washington Huskies, lay claim to one of the most prolific passing games in all of college football. All three of their top receivers are expected to be drafted in the NFL either next May or the year after, and their quarterback, Michael Penix Jr., is vying for the Heisman trophy this year. Expect a high-scoring game any time they enter the field of play.
Coming in as the #3 seed, Texas returns to its illustrious roots of the early 2000s by making the playoffs for the first time since the CFP’s inception in 2014. Led by Head Coach Steve Sarkisian, the Longhorns should provide plenty for Washington to have to deal with. Donning the iconic burnt orange, their defensive line is one of the best in the country, along with no real weaknesses in any phases of their game.
Finally, the perennial powerhouse, Alabama Crimson Tide finds themselves back in the playoffs for the 3rd time since 2014, as the #4 seed. Nick Saban has claimed 6 total national titles since 2009, by far the most of any college football program. Led by a very strong defensive secondary, the Roll-Tide fans should expect a savvy performance from their battle-tested team.
We here at W2W look forward to an exciting college football bowl season overall! Let us know if there is a matchup you think we should cover and what games you are most excited to see. The American holiday season just isn’t complete without this great tradition that is college football and we midwest residents can lay claim to one of the strongest versions of that tradition.
