By: Olivia Wallace 

     On January 1, 2024, the College Football Playoffs (CFP) will kick off at 5 P.M. at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, California, where number four ranked Alabama takes on number one Michigan. They will be followed by number three Texas trying to defeat number two Washington in the Sugar Bowl at the Caesar’s Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana, to determine the 2023 season College Football National Champion. 

     For more insight on the College Football Playoffs, The Squire interviewed college football fan, Eisenhower’s Athletic Director and P.E. teacher, Mr. Black. When asked about the playoffs, Black commented, “Anything can happen between now and then, with injuries and eligibility that could affect any of the teams…” 

     The 13-0 Michigan Wolverines of Ann Arbor, Michigan, received the one seed after being one of three undefeated Power 5 conference champions, while defeating three ranked teams of number ten Penn State, number two Ohio State, and number sixteen Iowa in the Big 10 Championship. The Power 5 contains the Big 10, Big 12, SEC, PAC 12, and ACC Conferences. Michigan will have Head Coach Jim Harbaugh on the sideline after being suspended twice during the 2023 season. 

      In the semifinal of the playoffs, the University of Alabama will be facing Michigan in the Rose Bowl. The Alabama Crimson Tide went 12-1 winning the SEC (Southeastern Conference) Championship against, at the time, number one ranked Georgia. Alabama suffered their only loss in week two, when they lost to now number three Texas. With seven National Championship wins, the most by a head coach, Alabama’s Head Coach Nick Saban is not new to this stressful environment.  

     After winning the PAC 12 Championship, the University of Washington earned themselves the two seed. They were also undefeated, going 13-0 overall. They are headed over 2,500 hundred miles southeast to New Orleans where they will compete for a place in the championship. Washington Husky quarterback, Michael Penix Jr., was one of four Heisman finalists, which is an award for the best player in college football. He was the only player from any of the four playoff teams to be a Heisman finalist this year, which could be a huge advantage for the Huskies going into the playoffs. 

     Finally, the University of Texas won the Big 12 Championship and obtained the three seed in the 2023 playoffs. The Longhorns are coming off a dominating win over Oklahoma State in the Big 12 Championship. Texas went 12-1, losing their only game to then undefeated number twelve Oklahoma. Texas’s best win came against the now number four Alabama. They will meet Washington in New Orleans, which could benefit them by being a lot closer travel distance allowing fans to take an easier trip, making the atmosphere much more like a Texas home game. 

     All of these teams will have had a month to prepare from the last game they played to the upcoming playoff game. These teams will work to perfect anything they can before facing off on the biggest stage in college football. 

     The biggest controversy coming from this year’s college football playoffs is Florida State being left out of the CFP. To determine the teams in the College Football Playoff, a committee selects the top four teams and ranks them from one to four, determining who will play whom. Florida State was the last remaining undefeated Power 5 Champion. In the history of the four-team college football playoff since 2014, no undefeated conference winner has ever been left out until this year. Next year, the College Football Playoff is expanding to 12 teams. The change will avoid this problem in the future. It will also allow for more diversity in the playoffs, including smaller non-Power 5 schools to get their chance in the playoffs. 

     Black added, “I understand why they left Florida State out, because of the loss of their quarterback, but, that being said, I believe that Florida State was more than deserving of being ACC undefeated champions. It would not have been an issue, with the play-offs increasing their numbers in the upcoming years.” 

     As of December 11, 2023, according to ESPN, Michigan is favored to beat Alabama by two points. In the Sugar Bowl, Texas is predicted to win by four points. They also give the Wolverines the best odds to win the championship, followed by the Crimson Tide, the Longhorns, and, finally, the Huskies. 

     The Squire asked Black who he predicted will win, and he shared, “…I believe Texas will win. Quinn Ewers is a veteran quarterback, who has wins over Alabama already and Texas has a strong defense. They also have a very good offensive line.”  

    To tune in and watch the College Football Playoffs, turn on ESPN and watch both the Rose and Sugar Bowl. The Championship game will be on ESPN starting at 8PM on Monday January 8.