Notre Dame Lands First-Ever Playoff Berth

There was intrigue, there was drama and there will surely be more debate to come, but in the end, there was little surprise.

The final set of the College Football Playoff rankings – the only ones that matter – were just announced and they were exactly what most people expected.

Alabama (13-0) hung on to the top spot followed by Clemson (13-0), Notre Dame (12-0) and Oklahoma (12-1), in that order.

The #3 Irish will face #2 Clemson in one playoff semifinal in Dallas on Dec. 29th while #1 Alabama will play #4 Oklahoma in the other semifinal in Miami the same day.

While three of the teams are well-acquainted with college football’s new postseason format, this will be the Irish’s first-ever appearance.

Alabama has been included in all four previous playoffs dating back to the 2014 season while Clemson’s berth is its fourth straight, having appeared every year except for the first. Oklahoma joined the Crimson Tide and Tigers in last year’s playoff and was also selected following the 2015 season.

Georgia (11-2) pushed Alabama all of the way during Saturday’s SEC Championship Game before losing 35-28. The Bulldogs and many others argued that even in a loss, they proved they’re one of the country’s top four teams, but the committee disagreed, dropping them from fourth in last week’s rankings to fifth.

The Sooners swapped spots with Georgia, moving from fifth to fourth following their 39-27 win over Texas in the Big 12 Championship, avenging their only loss of the season.

Ohio State (12-1) entered Saturday with hopes of making the top four, but they were dimmed after the Sooners’ win earlier in the game, the Bulldogs’ tight loss, but ultimately done in by an uninspiring win over Northwestern in the Big Ten Championship Game.

The winners of the semifinal games will meet for the National Championship on Jan. 7th at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif.