Despite some controversy regarding the morality of the selection committee, the New Year’s slate of College Football Playoff games has finally arrived, putting fans through a wave of mixed emotions with Florida State’s absence.
Nonetheless, it should be a series of games to remember as #1 Michigan hopes to dethrone #4 Alabama in the annual Rose Bowl while #2 Washington looks to ride their momentum into the Sugar Bowl against #3 Texas.
With all that being said, do yourself a favor by inviting your inner fandom to the closest living room, hanging alongside your beloved sports enthusiasts, and tuning into ESPN’s broadcast of the CFB Semifinals on January 1st.
University of Michigan, Wolverines
It was only right for Michigan to claim the top spot in this year’s CFB Playoff rankings.
Their 13-0 record paired with the dominance that ensued in the Big Ten Conference, specifically against Penn State, Ohio State, and Iowa, certainly made a convincing resume.
Defensive Coordinator Jesse Minter and his defense have also done exceptionally well, ranking #1 amongst all other programs in Points Per Game Allowed at 9.5.
Offensively, even with the injury to Zak Zinter, Michigan’s O-line should continue to roll through opposing defensive fronts, setting up Senior RB Blake Corum in the back end.
J.J. McCarthy will also learn from his mistakes in the disappointing loss to TCU in the 2022 Fiesta Bowl, theoretically making him geared up and ready to take on Alabama.
University of Washington, Huskies
With the PAC-12 Conference coming to an end after the 2023 season, it was perfectly fitting for Washington to end it off with a bang, going undefeated with the CFB leader in passing yards and Heisman runner-up Michael Penix Jr. at the helm.
Rome Odunze, Ja’Lynn Polk, Jalen McMillan, and Dillon Johnson have also contributed heavily to the offensive side of the ball, enough to be ranked #1 in Passing Yards Per Game by a small margin.
Not to mention, the Huskies have dismantled the Oregon Ducks twice in 2023, with the first being in the regular season and the other in the PAC-12 Championship.
Head Coach Kalen DaBoer has exceeded everyone’s expectations and should be due for an extension sooner.
After all, his Huskies are widely recognized as the most explosive offense in all of College Football and one of the bigger threats against the programs that rank in the top 4.
University of Texas, Longhorns
Even with a loss against Oklahoma in the Red River Rivalry, Steve Sarkisian and the Longhorns have ultimately punched their ticket to the CFB Playoff for the first time in program history.
An offense with tons of weapons at their disposal including Jonathon Brooks, Xavier Worthy, and former Georgia transfer Adonai Mitchell is certainly a force to be reckoned with, even against the Washington Huskies.
Gabby Comer, Verrado High School’s Editor in Chief of Journalism and Longhorn enthusiast, said “I think the Longhorns are National Championship contenders, if they can play as well as they did against Alabama, they can surely beat Washington”.
Regarding backup QB Arch Manning potentially entering the portal, Comer also claims “I don’t think he’ll transfer, even with Quinn Ewers being considered the savior of the University of Texas. He should stay”.
University of Alabama, Crimson Tide
It wouldn’t be a CFB Playoff without an SEC team being included in the conversation for a National Championship.
Led by Head Coach Nick Saban, who has close to double-digit wins in the College Football Playoff with a record of 9-4, Alabama should continue to thrive with 1st year-starting QB Jalen Milroe.
Despite some early adversity at the beginning of the season, Milroe has finally settled in with the Crimson Tide and has full experience in tight-contested games against tough programs.
Specifically against top SEC brands like Texas A&M, Auburn, and Georgia, as well as the newly crowned Big 12 Champion Texas Longhorns.
Even with the loss of Bryce Young and Jahmyr Gibbs due to the 2023 NFL Draft, Alabama will certainly keep it close against Michigan.
* Florida State University, Seminoles *
Opinions concerning the absence of Florida State in this year’s CFB Playoff are completely split.
On one hand, people believe that all sports including College Football are completely entertainment-driven with a willingness to cross ethical lines if it means that the TV ratings and viewers go up.
They also understand that the last thing the CFB Selection Committee (and most fans) want is another National Championship like Georgia’s 65-7 blowout over TCU in early 2023.
The aforementioned Gabby Comer says, “My heart hurts for FSU’s program and I’m deeply saddened, even as a Longhorn fan. However, I do believe that the decision was right”.
On the other hand, some believe that the decision to leave Florida State out of the CFB Playoff was completely unjust and immoral, even with the injury to QB Jordan Travis.
Matthew Spivey, a Mississippi State fan and student at Verrado High School claims that “I think they should’ve been in. I believe they got cheated. They were undefeated (13-0) and the only reason they didn’t make the CFB Playoff was because Jordan Travis got injured”.
Whether FSU made it in or not, it is undeniably certain that their presence in the ACC was feared among neighboring programs like Clemson, Duke, Miami, and Boston College.
