It was no surprise that No. 1 Michigan and No. 2 Washington — after winning their respective conference championships this weekend following strong seasons — made the College Football Playoff this year. But Texas and Alabama getting in over Florida State rattled and enraged fans, who are surely looking forward to a 12-team playoff next season.
But as Michigan will face Alabama in the Rose Bowl semifinal and Washington will take on Texas in the Sugar Bowl semifinal, there are other New Year’s Six bowl games to consider, leading to a variety of winners and losers on this selection Sunday.
So now that we have the final 2023-24 College Football Playoff picture and the major bowl game lineups, here’s a breakdown of our top-10 winners and losers in the committee’s final rankings.
1
Winner: No. 3 Texas
The Longhorns had an emphatic ending to their Big 12 season, winning the conference title for the first time since 2009. They certainly looked like a playoff team after crushing Oklahoma State, but whether it would be enough for their first playoff berth was a different story. With their first playoff appearance since the four-team format was implemented in the 2014-15 season, the Longhorns are clearly a huge winner here.
2
Loser: No. 5 Florida State
This one has to hurt. Florida State finished the season with an undefeated record as ACC champions and still lost out on a shot at the national championship with a playoff snub. It’s the first undefeated Power Five team to be excluded from the playoff, and fans were understandably livid. Even with playoff chair Boo Corrigan’s explanation about player availability being a “big factor,” it’s still tough to see an undefeated Power Five champ not make the playoff. Won’t be a problem with expansion next season, but that probably doesn’t ease anyone’s pain. And now it has to face Georgia in the Orange Bowl. That’s even tougher.
3
Winner: No. 2 Washington
In a somber final night of the Pac-12 Conference as we know it, the Huskies showed up big time and topped Oregon in another thrilling matchup between these two powerhouses. It was a great game and all but ensured the Huskies would return to the playoff for the first time since the 2016-17 season. And Washington is an extra big winner because while there’s a solid argument for it being the No. 1 seed, by being No. 2, it avoids Alabama in the semifinal.
4
Loser: No. 6 Georgia
We always knew a Georgia loss to Alabama in the SEC championship game would deliver a nightmare scenario for the playoff committee, and that’s exactly what happened. This upset left people with a lot of questions: Would one loss mean Georgia should fall out of the top four after being No. 1? Would it mean the SEC should get two teams in or zero teams in? Where would one-loss Big 12 champ Texas come into play after beating Alabama earlier this season?
Well, the committee answered those questions, and the Bulldogs didn’t get the benefit of the doubt. Their consolation prize? The Orange Bowl against an angry Florida State team. Not bad, but not contending for a third-straight national championship.
5
Winner: No. 1 Michigan
Without question, the Wolverines exited conference championship weekend looking like the strongest team in the country after shutting out Iowa in Saturday’s Big Ten championship game. And with Georgia’s loss to Alabama, it was clear Michigan would get the top seed and will play the Crimson Tide in the Rose Bowl semifinal. If not for that opponent, which Wolverines players seemed less-than-thrilled about, Michigan would be a bigger winner.
6
Winner: No. 4 Alabama
Yeah, sure, it was possible the SEC would get excluded from the playoff, and many fans were definitely rooting for that to happen. But of course, it didn’t. Alabama beat the previously undefeated former No. 1 team in the SEC title game and snuck back into the playoff after missing out last season.
7
Loser: No. 8 Oregon
Oregon is a playoff-caliber team that essentially played in a quarterfinal matchup against Washington and lost. Had the Ducks won, they almost certainly would have made the playoff. And unfortunately for them, they’re not playing a bowl opponent at their level. Liberty is clearly a talented squad with a 13-0 record, but had Oregon beat the now-No. 2 team, it could have been a serious national championship contender. The Fiesta Bowl is great and Liberty is great, but the Ducks deserved an opponent more on their level.
8
Winner (ish): No. 9 Missouri
The Tigers have had a standout and memorable season with 10 wins, and they have one of the biggest opportunities during bowl season outside of the playoff teams. A win over Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl would deliver an 11-2 season and a major statement to the college football world that Missouri needs to be taken seriously in the SEC and the FBS overall. Not that beating the Buckeyes will be easy, but it would be an assertive victory for sure.
9
Loser (ish): Ohio State
Look, the Buckeyes didn’t really have much of a playoff chance going into conference championship weekend. They needed a lot of chaos to play out, and even though we had some madness, it wasn’t enough to lift Ohio State into the top four. But an upcoming Cotton Bowl appearance against No. 9 Missouri as a consolation prize is a solid option, even if the Buckeyes aren’t contending for a national title.
10
Winner: Fans of the Peach Bowl teams
No. 10 Penn State versus No. 11 Ole Miss? BRING IT ON.
This matchup has so much potential for fun, intensity and a dash of madness, and we’re so here for it. The Peach Bowl is going to be one of the most entertaining bowl games, and fans of chaotic football are going to love it.
