Alabama, Clemson, Notre Dame, and Oklahoma were the teams chosen by the playoff committee and have been seeded in that order. The college football playoffs begin this January, with the National Championship game set to be Jan. 7, 2019.

Coming in fifth and therefore missing the playoffs by one spot was Georgia. Nick Saban, Alabama’s Head Coach responded to this decision, “Well, I do think they’re one of the top four teams in the country…I do think after playing Georgia they were one of the best four teams in the country.” Georgia’s Head Coach also responded saying, “We most definitely have one of the best four teams in the country.” Although they did not make the playoffs, Georgia finished the regular season first in the SEC East with a record of eleven wins and two losses. Their two losses came from LSU and Alabama.

Many believe that Georgia should have made the playoffs and that Oklahoma should have been left out. However, Oklahoma finished the season with only one loss. Oklahoma has been led by star quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Kyler Murray. Murray is an incredible athlete known for his speed, and he is a dual threat under center. He can run and throw at a spectacular level. His 40-yard dash is a 4.32 unofficial. Murray threw forty touchdowns and rushed for eleven touchdowns. With Murray under center, Oklahoma, who will be the underdog, poses a major threat to Alabama in the first round of the CFB Playoffs.

Alabama, looking to continue its dynasty under Nick Saban, is the favorite going in. With Tua Tagovailoa’s injury in the game against Georgia’, backup quarterback Jalen Hurts led the team to victory. With Tua and Hurts both as starting options, Alabama has extreme depth at the quarterback position. Additionally, with the solid defense and amazing offense, Alabama poses a huge threat to any team in their way of winning the national championship.

In the second matchup, No. 2 ranked Clemson plays No.3 ranked Notre Dame in a seemingly even matchup. Clemson and Notre Dame are both undefeated this season. With renowned Head Coach Dabo Swinney leading the Tigers, Clemson can never be doubted. True freshman Trevor Lawrence has led the Tigers to another College Football Playoff berth, after Kelly Bryant transferred last year. Notre Dame comes into the playoffs seeded third. Notre Dame is a known college football powerhouse. Being back in the top three teams shows hope for a thirsty Notre Dame football fanbase. As fans are exhilarated, fans of opposing teams question Notre Dame’s playoff berth. Notre Dame did not have the toughest competition in the regular season, however, their undefeated record proves that they deserve the spot which they have.