Instant Reaction: Alabama makes College Football Playoff, will play Michigan

Alabama stated its case yesterday in the SEC Championship Game, knocking off the top ranked Georgia Bulldogs in Atlanta to win the conference that the College Football Playoff committee, chaired in 2023 by NC State AD Boo Corrigan, had established as the strongest conference in America based on its own top 25 rankings.

Bill Hancock, the executive director of the College Football Playoff, recently said this:

I appreciate your asking that question. It is best. Most deserving is not anything in the committee’s lexicon. They are to rank the best teams in order, and that’s what they do. Just keep that word in mind: best teams.

After much consternation, hand-wringing and debate over the past 15 hours or so, the committee has spoken, and succeeded in its mission as laid out by Hancock.

Alabama, on the strength of winning the strongest conference and beating the #1 team in the nation, boasting the most top 15 and top 25 wins, and strongest strength of schedule among all of the contending teams, managed to make the leap from #8 into the College Football Playoff field. It’s tough to argue that Alabama isn’t one of the best four teams in the nation, and the committee agreed. Alabama will now face Michigan in the Rose Bowl in what will be a much ballyhooed matchup between college football’s winningest programs.

We will have more later on the matchup and ramifications. Feel free to fire off your hot takes in the comments.

Roll Tide.