Alabama Earns Spot In College Football Playoff, Will Face No. 1 Michigan In Rose Bowl

TUSCALOOSA, AL — Less than 24 hours after No. 8 Alabama shocked the college football world with an upset win over No. 1 Georgia in the SEC Championship, the Crimson Tide earned the No. 4 spot in the College Football Playoff and will be taking on No. 1 Michigan in the Rose Bowl on New Year's Day.

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The decision by the CFP Selection Committee marks the first time a No. 1 team — Georgia, in this instance — dropped out of the top 4 in the College Football Playoff rankings following a loss. It also represented the first time an undefeated team from a Power 5 conference, Florida State, was left out of the playoff.

Michigan (13-0) and Washington (13-0) both finished undefeated regular seasons, won their conference championships this week and were seemingly easy picks for the committee.

The final two spots, though, were left up for a contentious debate — coming down to SEC champion Alabama (12-1), ACC champion Florida State (13-0), Georgia (12-1) and Big 12 champion Texas (12-1).

When the debates finally concluded Sunday, however, it would be the Crimson Tide and the Longhorns tapped for the final two spots.

No. 1 Michigan will now face off against No. 4 Alabama in the Rose Bowl on New Year's Day, while the Sugar Bowl will feature No. 2 Washington taking on No. 3 Texas — who will be making its first-ever playoff appearance after beating Alabama in Tuscaloosa in September.

Following Saturday's 27-24 win over Georgia, Tide head coach Nick Saban was asked about the possibilities swirling around the College Football Playoff, to which he responded that the Crimson Tide had just defeated the team viewed by the CFP Committee as the No. 1 team in the country.

"So if we needed to do something to pass the eye test I guess that probably contributed to it significantly and if you really want the four best teams to compete, the four most deserving teams that have progressed throughout the season," Saban said Saturday night. "We're not the same team we were when we played Texas. We're not the same team we were when we played South Florida, so I don't think we should be considered as that team right now."

The first semifinal game will be played at the Rose Bowl at 4 p.m. CST on Monday, Jan. 1 on ESPN, which will be followed by the second semifinal game at the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans at 6:30 p.m. CST.

The College Football Playoff National Championship Game will kick off Monday, Jan. 8, 2024 at NRG Stadium in Houston. All three games will be broadcast on ESPN.

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