Oregon Claims No. 1 Seed in Inaugural 12-Team College Football Playoff as SMU Beats Alabama for Final Berth

Jacob Kupferman/AP

SMU quarterback Kevin Jennings (7) passes the ball in the first half of the Atlantic Coast Conference championship NCAA college football game against Clemson.

The new 12-team College Football Playoff promises to be bigger, more exciting, and more lucrative than its predecessor. However, it may not be perfect or entirely fair, as evidenced by the selection process that has sparked debate.

The inaugural playoff bracket, revealed on Sunday, left a strong Alabama team out in favor of an SMU squad with a better record but an easier schedule. Oregon earned the top seed as an undefeated team but is now set for a potential rematch against Ohio State, the closest team to defeating them this season.

Meanwhile, underdog Boise State was surprisingly favored while injured Georgia received a No. 2 seed. The playoff structure also granted Ohio State home-field advantage over Tennessee based on criteria that may require advanced calculations to fully understand.

This multiweek tournament is sure to generate excitement and discussions about its fairness leading up to the trophy presentation on January 20, marking what will likely be the longest college football season in history.

As Oregon coach Dan Lanning succinctly stated: "Winning a national championship is not supposed to be easy.” The same can be said for determining which teams have earned their spots in this new format.

Alabama comes up short in the bracket’s biggest debate

The Big Ten leads with four teams in this tournament, followed by three from the SEC and two from the ACC. A key takeaway from this inaugural bracket is how it allocated a second bid to the ACC over Alabama of the SEC.

Despite not playing on Saturday, Alabama watched as SMU battled Clemson fiercely but ultimately lost 34-31 on a last-second field goal. SMU's coach Rhett Lashley expressed relief upon seeing his team's name featured: “We were on pins and needles... We're really happy and thankful to the committee for rewarding our guys for their total body of work."

The Mustangs finished with only two losses compared to Alabama's three, leading the selection committee to favor SMU despite their less challenging schedule. Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel explained: “We just felt, in this particular case, SMU had the nod above Alabama... We looked at the entire body of work for both teams.”

Georgia, Boise State and Arizona State join Oregon with first-round byes

Georgia claimed second seed as SEC champion; Boise State earned third seed as Mountain West champion; Arizona State secured fourth seed as Big 12 champion—all receiving first-round byes. They will compete in quarterfinals at bowl games scheduled for December 31 through January 1.

Clemson's dramatic victory over SMU awarded them the final spot in seeded competition at No. 12—resulting directly from their upset win that edged out Alabama’s chances.

Automatic byes and bids made the bracket strange

This initial playoff format may lead conference commissioners to reconsider how conference champions are treated moving forward. Although Boise State was ranked ninth and Arizona State twelfth by committee standards, both teams automatically received first-round exemptions.

What the matchups look like

• No. 12 Clemson at No. 5 Texas – December 21: Clemson enters after defeating SMU while Texas boasts an impressive record against all opponents except Georgia.
• No. 11 SMU at No. 6 Penn State – December 21: Critics noted SMU's weaker schedule; now they face tougher competition with potential implications for future matchups against Boise State following this round.
• No. 10 Indiana at No. 7 Notre Dame – December 20: Indiana came close to securing home-field advantage; now they’ll face off against Georgia following this matchup.
• No. 9 Tennessee at No. 8 Ohio State – December 21: In another intriguing clash between powerhouse programs who faced tough losses earlier this season before potentially meeting Oregon later on.