CFP Top 25
Florida State running back Lawrance Toafili (9) dodges Louisville defenders during the ACC Championship title in Charlotte, North Carolina on Saturday, Dec. 2, 2023. [© Alicia Devine / USA TODAY NETWORK]

CFP Top 25: Winners, Losers and Weirdos from Playoff Selection Day

The CFP Top 25 is set in stone following championship weekend. The regular season is over, bowl selection is here and the college football playoff has been decided. Michigan, Washington, Texas and Alabama will all vie for college football glory, while Florida State and Georgia look beyond from outside the party. Here’s the three winners, losers and weirdos from the playoff teams and hopefuls.

https://twitter.com/CFBPlayoff/status/1731411544058089664

Winners: No. 4 Alabama Crimson Tide

Alabama was not nearly a playoff team before this weekend. But after defeating No. 1 Georgia and snapping the back-to-back champion’s 29-game win streak, how could it not be? People will argue against the committee’s decision, but including Texas and Alabama shows both head-to-head wins matter and teams can overcome resume. This Alabama team is much different, and better, now. And it has the best win in the country.

Like it or not, Alabama has a real shot a national championship, making the ‘Tide this week’s winners.

Losers: No. 5 Florida State Seminoles

There was no question here. Florida State floated around the top the CFP Top 25 all year. The Seminoles finished undefeated and won the ACC championship. They’re the first team to accomplish that and miss the playoffs. A major contributor to that decision being that Jordan Travis is out, which people aren’t happy about. But the reality is FSU isn’t a playoff team without him. It didn’t do enough against Louisville to prove against that.

Maybe FSU should have been in favor of a 12-team playoff. Or maybe it should’ve done a better job preserving Tate Rodemaker. For now, the ‘Noles are losers, even if they never lost.

Weirdos: No. 1 Michigan

How is the No. 1 ranked team in the country the weirdos?

Because they kind of got screwed.

Michigan has sat pretty as the nation’s No. 1 since the Wolverines defeated Ohio State in The Game. They absolutely deserve the ranking, but doing so earned them no advantage. They’ll take on Alabama in the first round of the playoff. Alabama is the fourth-seeded team but may be the most capable. There’s not many teams you’d want to face less with a national championship on the line than a red-hot ‘Tide with Nick Saban hell-bent on disproving doubters.

So congrats, Michigan! Your reward for all your success is a potential first-round beatdown from the college football death star. You weirdos.

About Jackson Castellano

Jackson Castellano is a third-year Sports Media Journalism student at the University of Florida.

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