Michigan’s reward for being No. 1? Alabama. This feels like more of a punishment for Jim Harbaugh’s Wolverines than a reward.
Florida State was the big loser of Sunday’s College Football Playoff announcement – the first undefeated Power Five program to go unselected.
The top seed was next in line.
Michigan’s reward for being No. 1? Alabama. This feels like more of a punishment for Jim Harbaugh’s Wolverines than a reward.
Alabama just snapped Georgia’s 29-game winning streak Saturday in the SEC championship game, ending the Bulldogs’ hopes of a historic three-peat. Jalen Milroe is playing as well as any quarterback in the country. The defense held Georgia to a season-low-tying 24 points. Oh, and the Crimson Tide is coached by some guy named Nick Saban. You may have heard of him. He’s only won seven national championships, 11 SEC titles and there is an argument to be made that he has done his best work this season after how poorly his team started the season.
Alabama has begun to feel like a team of destiny, winning four times by six points or less, and has either trailed or been tied at halftime in six different games. It needed a remarkable 31-yard touchdown pass from Milroe to Isaiah Bond with 32 seconds left to get past six-loss Auburn in the Iron Bowl last weekend. Then, it outplayed Georgia on Saturday, an eye-opening performance that speaks to the confidence the Crimson Tide now have.
Michigan has to deal with all of that, Jan. 1 in Pasadena, Calif., at the Rose Bowl. After going undefeated, beating archrival Ohio State and winning its third straight Big Ten crown, it was rightfully given the No. 1 seed. But then, after Pac-12 champion Washington was revealed at No. 2 and Texas was seeded third, Alabama was announced as the final playoff team over Florida State.
A video of the Michigan watch party told it all. There was a gasp, an audible “oh,” mostly silence and a few faint claps.
