The College Football Playoff is officially set
- The College Football Playoff is officially set, and it's filled with familiar faces.
- Alabama, Clemson, and Oklahoma are all returning to the playoff for the second straight year.
- Georgia and Ohio State were the first two teams left out of the postseason tournament.
The College Football Playoff is officially set.
After an exhilarating Championship Weekend that almost saw Alabama suffer their first loss of the season in the SEC title game, the Crimson Tide are once again the top seed heading into the playoff and will face the Oklahoma Sooners in the semifinal at the Orange Bowl.
On the other side of the bracket, the Clemson Tigers will take on Notre Dame in the Cotton Bowl.
The selection committee's decision left some deserving contenders on the outside looking in.
Georgia wound up as the first team out. The Bulldogs came closer than any team to taking down Alabama in the SEC Championship and some will argue undeniably one of the top four teams in the country, but couldn't overcome their two losses to get into the playoff.
Ohio State suffered one loss all year and won the Big Ten, but the committee seemingly believed their big loss to Purdue was too bad a mark on their resume to compete for the title.
The UCF Knights went undefeated for a second straight year, and for the second straight year, the Group of Five powerhouse fell short of earning a seat at the table.
The semifinal games will both be played on December 29, with the winners meeting in the national championship on January 7 at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California.