CFP Committee’s Final Decisions: Alabama Or SMU? Which Teams Host Playoff Game? Let’s Discuss

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ATLANTA, GA – Did you expect anything different on the final day before the College Football Playoff is announced? I didn’t expect a backup quarterback to lead Georgia in the second half to a win over Texas, and with the ACC giving us some last-minute talking points, the playoff committee has some tough decisions to make. 

What started with Boise State clinching a spot, and most likely a first-round bye, bled into Saturday night as Clemson clinched a spot in the Playoff with a win over SMU. As unpredictable as this 2024 season has been for the past four months, I would say the upcoming decisions on who gets the final spot, and where teams are seeded, will be climatic later this morning. 

Georgia Beats Texas In Overtime, Clinches First-Round Bye

I hope you had a good time watching the SEC championship from home, because it was ugly in-person. Whether it was both teams struggling to hold onto a pass, or rushing yards coming at a premium, that was an ugly first half of football. 

Besides the final score, the biggest moment of the game was when Carson Beck took a pretty bad hit to his throwing arm at the end of that ugly first half. Kirby Smart said postgame that Beck could not fully grip the football, and they would know more about his injury once an MRI was performed when they returned to Athens. 

While Quinn Ewers threw for over 350 yards, his two interceptions played a major part in the Longhorns not hoisting a postgame trophy. Yes, the Texas defense played well, but without some big plays down the field, this offense looked stagnant for most of the night. 

So, what’s next? 

We’re about to find out how much the Playoff committee likes the Longhorns schedule, which will determine where they are seeded. You will most likely see them hosting a first-round game, while Georgia gets to rest for the next three weeks. 

Trey Wallace And Barrett Sallee Give Their Final Picks

Here’s how our Sr. College Football writer Trey Wallace, along with Barrett Sallee have their final rankings. 

Wallace: 

1. Oregon. 2. Georgia. 3. Boise State 4. Arizona State. 5. Notre Dame. 6. Texas. 7. Ohio State. 8. Penn State. 9. Tennessee. 10. Indiana. 11. Clemson. 12. SMU

Sallee:

1. Oregon. 2. Georgia. 3. Arizona State. 4. Boise State. 5. Notre Dame. 6. Texas. 7. Ohio State. 8. Penn State. 9. Tennessee. 10. Clemson. 11. Indiana. 12. SMU

Boise State, Arizona State Getting First-Round Byes? 

Yes, I could see the committee deciding that both Boise State and Arizona State will make up half of the Top-4 in today’s final CFP rankings. When SMU lost to Clemson, it seemed to make the most sense, whether you like it or not, that the two teams from the West will get automatic byes. 

Honestly, I don’t think a team from the MWC deserves to sit at home during the opening weekend of the Playoff, but nothing about this 2024 season has made much sense. 

Arizona State is going to be a dangerous team, and someone might’ve avoided a first-round loss by not having to play the Sun Devils to open the Playoff. 

Big Ten, ACC Championships Close The Day. CFP Seeding Decisions 

The most obvious spot in the college football playoff will go to Oregon, who finished 13-0 with the win over Penn State in its first year in the Big Ten. Dan Lanning and the Ducks are just dangerous, and there will be a number of teams hoping to avoid them in the second round. 

I do give Penn State credit for hanging tough, and the Nittany Lions will not fall very far in the final rankings. I would also suspect that some team is traveling to Happy Valley for a game against the Nittany Lions, which should have some lovely weather the weekend before Christmas. Pack enough layers, and good luck getting a hotel room. They are conducting graduation on the same weekend, which is why you’re going to be shocked when you see the prices. 

The game of the day goes to Clemson and SMU for putting on a spectacle in Charlotte for the ACC Championship. 

But after SMU rallied, down 17 points in the fourth quarter, to tie it up with just over ten seconds remaining in the game, this was the moment that should give the Mustangs a spot in the Playoff. 

A 56-yard field goal by Clemson at the end of regulation sent the Tigers into the Playoff, in dramatic fashion. 

As for the ACC, this was the game that Alabama fans were paying attention to. After Clemson defeated SMU for the conference title, the conversation immediately turned to whether the Mustangs or Alabama deserved the final Playoff spot. 

Realistically, I just don’t know how you can keep the loser of a Power-4 conference title game out of the Playoff, especially when you were already ranked heading into the matchup. But that’s the dilemma this playoff committee faces right now, as Clemson takes the final automatic spot. So, do the Tigers get the 11th seed, and then the committee decides on Alabama or SMU? 

Yes, this is what the conversation is undoubtedly centering around this morning. Remember, CFP chair Warde Manuel said that teams not playing this weekend, but ranked in the Top-12, would not be harmed by what transpires in conference title games. But, don’t forget that he also mentioned they would take a look at how each title game transpired. 

So, Warde Manuel was really saying that they would obviously factor in how some of these games played out, especially for a team like Alabama, who wasn’t playing. 

But at the end of the night, it shouldn’t matter, in my opinion. SMU did enough, seconds away from overtime, to clinch a Playoff spot. 

Here we go, one last tough decision for the Playoff committee that will certainly upset one fan base. 

Did you expect anything different?