College Football Playoff: Alabama Left Out As Four Teams Revealed

The College Football Playoff picture was revealed Sunday, and while we knew the two undefeated teams were locks, the other two spots were more of a debate.

Here’s how the top four teams rank:

1. Georgia (13-0)
2. Michigan (13-0)
3. TCU (12-1)
4. Ohio State (11-1)

And here are the College Football Playoff semifinal matchups:
Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl: Georgia vs. Ohio State, Dec. 31 at 8 p.m. ET at Mercedes-Benz Stadium
Vrbo Fiesta Bowl: Michigan vs. TCU, Dec. 31 at 4 p.m. ET at State Farm Stadium

The most notable team to be left out of the top four is Alabama, even after head coach Nick Saban unapologetically tried to make the case for the Crimson Tide after their two-loss campaign, which also featured some uninspiring wins. SEC champion Georgia is the lone representative of the conference as Alabama (10-2) and Tennessee (10-2) rank fifth and sixth, respectively. There was a thought Alabama might be able to sneak into the Final Four given TCU’s loss to Kansas State in the Big 12 championship game Saturday.

Georgia currently is viewed as the betting favorite to win the National Championship on DraftKings Sportsbook. Georgia (-130) is followed by Michigan (+280), Ohio State (+340) and TCU (16-to-1).

The Bulldogs opened as a 6.5-point favorite against the Buckeyes while the Big 10 champion Wolverines opened as a 9.5-point favorite against the Horned Frogs, per DraftKings.