The Playoffs lineup has been set, and there was one surprise.
TCU, unranked at the start of the season, stayed at No. 3 despite an overtime loss on Saturday to Kansas State in the Big 12 title game. So when the announcement came today on the four-team playoffs, the Horned Frogs were still part of the four-team playoff pairings.
No. 1 Georgia and No. 4 Ohio State will be paired in a semifinal in the Peach Bowl, while TCU will meet No. 2 Michigan in the Fiesta Bowl.
The two semifinal games will be placed on Dec. 31. The winners will meet in the national championship game on Jan. 9.
Ohio State was the other surprise. They lost last Saturday to Michigan 45-23 at their Columbus, Ohio home. But USC’s loss to Utah in the Pac-12 championship opened the door to the Buckeyes’ inclusion in the final four.
In the final rankings, Alabama finished fifth, followed by Tennessee at No. 6. Alabama had some hopes that it would be selected, but its two losses and lack of a major win was too much to overcome. A two-loss team has never been selected to the playoff.