News/Commentary

Playoff Committee Releases Final Rankings

December 3, 2017 by Dave Congrove

Alabama and Clemson won't meet in the National Championship game. Instead, they will meet in a semifinal game at the Sugar Bowl with the Tigers taking the top seed and the Tide given a fourth seed.

The College Football Playoff selection committee offered no major surprises with its final rankings. The only real question that was left to be answered was which team would be No. 4, and Ohio State lost out. Committee chair Kirby Hocutt admitted that Ohio State 31-point loss to Iowa was a significant factor, along with the Buckeyes having 2 losses compared to 1 for the Tide. Alabama is the only team that has made the final four in all four seasons of the playoff.

Oklahoma will head to Pasadena to play Georgia in the Rose Bowl for the #2 vs. #3 semifinal game.

UCF is off to a New Year's Six bowl as the-highest ranked teams in the Group of 5 conferences. The Knights are ranked 12th as the nation's only undefeated team (12-0).

Here are the complete Selection Committee Rankings:

  Team W-L LW
1. Clemson 12-1 1
2. Oklahoma 12-1 3
3. Georgia 12-1 6
4. Alabama 11-1 5
5. Ohio State 11-2 8
6. Wisconsin 12-1 4
7. Auburn 10-3 2
8. USC 10-2 10
9. Penn State 10-2 9
10 Miami (Fla.) 10-3 7
11. Washington 10-2 13
12. UCF 12-0 14
13. Stanford 9-4 12
14. Notre Dame 9-3 15
15. TCU 10-3 11
16. Michigan State 9-3 16
17. LSU 9-3 17
18. Washington State 9-3 18
19. Oklahoma State 9-3 19
20. Memphis 10-2 20
21. Northwestern 9-3 21
22. Virginia Tech 9-3 22
23. Mississippi State 8-4 23
24. N.C. State 8-4 24
25. Boise State 10-3 ---

The College Football Playoff matches the No. 1 seed vs. No. 4, and No. 2 vs. No. 3 in semifinal games that rotate annually among the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, Goodyear Cotton Bowl, Capital One Orange Bowl, Allstate Sugar Bowl, Rose Bowl Game presented by Northwestern Mutual and PlayStation Fiesta Bowl. This season’s semifinals will take place Monday, January 1, 2018, at the Rose Bowl presented by Northwestern Mutual and the Allstate Sugar Bowl. The national championship game will be Monday, January 8, 2018, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.