The College Football Playoff playoff bracket has been unveiled and the 12-team field to compete for the national championship is set. But it hasn’t silenced any controversy.
One upset party is the SEC, which saw Alabama being the last team out in favor of SMU. The league also had two other three-loss teams in contention that fell short. Are their arguments valid?
On the field, the biggest impact on the playoff may be Georgia potentially playing without starting quarter Carson Beck due to an arm injury in the SEC championship game. The Bulldogs won that game with backup Gunner Stockton, which raised questions about Texas and its ability to win a national title ahead of its first-round matchup against Clemson.
Penn State lost to Oregon in the Big Ten title game but provided some hope for how they will look in the playoff, starting with SMU. Tennessee and Ohio State face off in the biggest first-round matchup that epitomizes the benefit of expansion. There is also an in-state matchup with Notre Dame facing Indiana. The Fighting Irish could be poised for a long playoff run.
Off the field, the transfer portal is open, the Heisman Trophy finalists are sorted and the coaching carousel keeps spinning. Is Bill Belichick really a good fit for North Carolina or is this destined to fail?
Dan Wolken and Paul Myerberg of USA TODAY Sports discuss these topics and more in this week’s version of the College Football Fix.
WHO WINS IT ALL: Our College Football Playoff bracket projection
PREVIEWS: Ohio State-Tennessee | Notre Dame-Indiana | Clemson-Texas | SMU-Penn State
TOUGH ROAD: Oregon gets difficult draw despite being No. 1 seed