College Football

The 2022 College Football Playoff is set.

On Sunday afternoon, the playoff selection committee announced that the final four teams were No. 1 Georgia, No. 2 Michigan, No. 3 TCU and No. 4 Ohio State.

The Georgia Bulldogs beat LSU 50-30 in the SEC title game Saturday, and Michigan defeated Purdue 43-22 in the Big Ten championship. TCU lost in overtime 31-28 to No. 10 Kansas State in the Big 12 championship, which was the Horned Frogs' first loss of the season. On Friday evening, USC lost 47-24 to Utah in the Pac-12 title game.

As is the case every year, the lingering question is, did the committee get it right? And as with every season, there are various arguments for both "yes" and "no."

Let's run through some aspects of the criteria that the selection committee uses to determine the final four teams:

• Championships won
• Strength of schedule
• Head-to-head competition (if it occurred)
• Comparative outcomes of common opponents (without incenting margin of victory)

The other unique feature of the CFP relative to the BCS is the human element. The 13-person selection committee offers prospective teams the opportunity to be evaluated via the "eye test."

So what was up for debate as we awaited the final rankings? Heading into championship weekend, the biggest one was what it would do with No. 4 USC.

The playoff picture became much clearer with the Pac-12 Championship Game on Friday night. The 11-1 Trojans, whose only blemish was a one-point loss on the road against these same Utes in October, entered with one task ahead of them: Defeat Utah, and they're in.

However, Utah had other plans. Although this game was 17-all at halftime, the Utes scored 31 points in the second half, with three touchdowns in the fourth. Caleb Williams hurt his hamstring in the first quarter, and with his mobility nonexistent, USC failed to mount a comeback in a 47-24 victory for Utah.

The Trojans' second loss of the year and a lack of a conference championship knocked them out of the playoff hunt.

But perhaps more importantly, it opened the door for 11-1 Ohio State.

Despite sitting at home on Championship Saturday thanks to their loss to Michigan in Week 13, the Buckeyes were the best team remaining to get a bid. They blew out virtually every opponent on their schedule otherwise.

Furthermore, Ohio State's resume was impressive, considering its ranking in ESPN's Football Power Index. The Buckeyes checked in at third in the metric, including a No. 4 Strength of Record Rank, which measures the "chance that an average Top 25 team would have the team's record or better, given its schedule."

OSU also ranked fourth in Game Control Ranks, measuring how an average Top 25 team would control games from start to finish the way the Buckeyes did.

The other big reason that gave Ohio State a bid? The Buckeyes didn't have two losses. USC, Alabama and Tennessee (I'll get to you, Tide and Vols) all had two losses, and there's no justification for putting a two-loss team—even one that made its conference championship game—over a team as good as Ohio State.

Another one-loss team in a much different position is TCU. The committee, unsurprisingly, gave the Horned Frogs a bid, despite their 31-28 loss in overtime to Kansas State in the Big 12 Championship Game that ended their attempt at a perfect season.

Their loss dropped them to fourth in the rankings, but the Horned Frogs were worthy of a spot in the CFP. While they fell short of their first conference title since 2014, they had beaten K-State 38-28 in the regular season.

Let's talk about the other two-loss teams that looked to have a chance to sneak into the playoff. The Tide jumped one spot up to No. 6 behind one-loss Ohio State going into Championship Saturday. Tennessee, meanwhile, moved up three spots to No. 7 following its 56-0 win over Vanderbilt.

Alabama was 10-2 on the season with road losses to Tennessee and LSU. Neither of the losses was bad; they both came down to the wire, and both teams are still ranked.

But two losses are just that: a no-go for the committee. A two-loss team has never made it into the playoff, including those that have won a conference championship.

Bama also didn't have a standout win. You could argue that winning 30-24 on the road against Ole Miss on Nov. 12 could count, but the Rebels dropped out of the playoff rankings in Week 14.

A similar argument can be made when looking at Tennessee. But unlike Alabama, the Vols did have a signature win with their 52-49 victory over the Tide. Tennessee's first loss of the season to Georgia wouldn't have been enough to knock the Vols out of the playoff. What crushed Tennessee's playoff hopes was its shocking 63-38 loss to unranked South Carolina on Nov. 19.

It's the same thing for Alabama: If you lose twice, you likely won't get a playoff bid, especially when four teams either finished undefeated or with one loss.

The only scenario that could have opened the door for a team like Tennessee or Alabama to get a bid is if we had two or three conference champions finish with multiple losses. Instead, Michigan and Georgia both won their conference title games. TCU lost in overtime—not enough to knock the Horned Frogs out. USC's defeat to Utah to finish with two losses opened the door for a one-loss Ohio State.

Then there were the no-brainer bids the committee gave out. Georgia went undefeated through the regular season for the first time since 1982 after demolishing LSU in the SEC Championship Game.

There was no hope for LSU, which entered the matchup with three losses. But even if Georgia lost to the Tigers, the Bulldogs would likely get a bid. Nonetheless, a No. 1 overall seed wasn't surprising for the defending national champions.

Michigan's bid was just as simple. The Wolverines finished a perfect 13-0, knocking off then-No. 2 Ohio State 45-23 on the road to make it into the Big Ten title game. Although the Purdue Boilermakers played well against Michigan, the Wolverines won with ease to defend their conference title.

There wasn't much reason for the Wolverines to jump No. 1 Georgia, but the No. 2 spot is just as worthy.

So did the committee get it right? Its job at the end of the season is clear—pick the four best teams with the strongest resumes and put them in the playoff. If you are a team with two losses, you probably won't make it in since a two-loss team has never made it into the four-team playoff. That eliminated the likes of USC, Alabama and Tennessee. Michigan and Georgia finished the year undefeated after winning their conference title games, so there's no argument for them to not receive a bid.

TCU lost for the first time all season in overtime to a Top 10 team in its conference championship game. The Horned Frogs were definitely worthy of a bid, even with the loss.

Ohio State was the only team remaining with one loss. Aside from losing to Michigan—a playoff team—the Buckeyes beat everyone else on their schedule handily.

After USC lost Friday night, the committee's task of picking the final four teams became a whole lot simpler.

For fans who think the committee didn't get it right, or that teams like Tennessee or Alabama should have gotten in, the good news is we only have two more years of the four-team playoff system. On Thursday, the CFP announced that an expanded 12-team playoff would begin in 2024.

For this year, though, the committee did its job in picking the top four teams at the end of the season.

And then there were four.

Despite some contrived Alabama discussion and Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban making seemingly desperate lobbying appearances on any network that would have him Saturday, there was little doubt who the four College Football Playoff teams would be when the selection committee made its announcement Sunday.

The only real drama was whether TCU would be the No. 3 seed or whether Ohio State would move up and set up a rematch with archrival Michigan.

Here is how it all shook out:

1. Georgia
2. Michigan
3. TCU
4. Ohio State
5. Alabama
6. Tennessee 
7. Clemson
8. Utah
9. Kansas State
10. USC
11. Penn State
12. Washington
13. Florida State
14. Oregon State
15. Oregon
16. Tulane
17. LSU
18. UCLA
19. South Carolina
20. Texas
21. Notre Dame
22. Mississippi State
23. NC State
24. Troy
25. UTSA

It was all so straightforward heading into conference championship weekend.

Georgia, by virtue of going undefeated in the daunting SEC, and Michigan, with the most impressive win of the season over Ohio State on the road and a victory over Penn State to go with it, were locks regardless of the outcome in their respective conference title games.

TCU was fairly close to lock status considering it had already defeated Kansas State, its Big 12 Championship Game opponent. And USC was a win over Utah away from securing the fourth and final spot.

Utah had other plans.

The Utes not only ended USC's Pac-12 title hopes Friday, but they destroyed any real argument for the Trojans to make the four-team playoff with a dominant 47-24 win.

While USC quarterback and potential Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams was dealing with an injury, Utah dominated at the line of scrimmage. The Trojans defense also seemed to have no interest in actually tackling someone, which was a problem that haunted the unit at times all season.

USC's loss was Ohio State's gain, as the Buckeyes were No. 5 in the penultimate CFP poll and hoping for some chaos to gain an entry.

There is something to be said about Ohio State benefiting from not playing on conference championship weekend, but all 11 of its wins came by double digits, its only loss was to the No. 2 Wolverines, and a road win over No. 11 Penn State stands out compared to the resumes of USC and Alabama.

The drama wasn't done, though, as TCU lost a heartbreaker to Kansas State in overtime with the Big 12 title on the line. If there was a silver lining for the Horned Frogs, it was the fact the game came down to the final snap.

A blowout loss may have opened the door for more convincing politicking from Alabama, but the Crimson Tide have an extra loss compared to every contender and did not stack a number of impressive wins together.

Their best win was likely by one point over a four-loss Texas team that was without quarterback Quinn Ewers for most of the game. TCU also defeated the same Longhorns by seven in a game Ewers played from start to finish.

Alabama's loss to LSU also looked worse as the season progressed, as the Tigers fell to 5-7 Texas A&M and were completely dominated by Georgia on Saturday. Tennessee, which also defeated Bama, didn't help either by giving up 63 points in a loss to South Carolina on Nov. 19.

An argument can be made that Alabama's two losses came down to the final play, but it barely snuck past Texas, Texas A&M and Ole Miss in three of its wins. It could just as easily be 8-4 or even 7-5 as much as 12-0 if a few plays unfolded differently.

Now the arguments and lobbying are over, and attention turns to the actual games with the biggest question being will anyone challenge the reigning champion Bulldogs as they look to hold on to their crown.

TCU still deserves a shot in the College Football Playoff despite losing in the Big 12 Championship Game—at least according to Associated Press voters.

The Horned Frogs came in at No. 3 in the final AP rankings before the playoff as they await word from the CFP committee. Georgia remained the nation's top-ranked team, followed by Michigan. Ohio State slides in at No. 4 while Alabama is on the outside looking in at No. 5.

Here is a look at how the entire poll played out:

1. Georgia
2. Michigan
3. TCU
4. Ohio State
5. Alabama
6. Tennessee
7. Utah
8. USC
9. Penn State
10. Clemson
11. Kansas State
12. Washington
13. Florida State
14. Tulane
15. Oregon
16. LSU
17. Oregon State
18. UCLA
19. Notre Dame
20. South Carolina
21. Texas
22. UTSA
23. Troy
24. Mississippi State
25. North Carolina State

College football came into the weekend with a very straightforward outlook. Georgia and Michigan were locks for the playoff regardless of how their conference title games played out, while TCU and USC were locked in if they were able to win their respective championships.

Neither of them got the job done.

USC played itself out of playoff contention in a 47-24 blowout loss to Utah. The Trojans were outscored 44-7 after holding a 17-3 lead, with the defense completely imploding while Heisman favorite Caleb Williams struggled with a hamstring injury.

TCU got more benefit of the doubt after losing a 31-28 overtime thriller to Kansas State in the Big 12 Championship Game. The Horned Frogs came back from 11 points down in the last 10 minutes, scoring a touchdown and game-tying two-point conversion with 1:51 remaining before falling in the extra period.

Losses by USC and TCU opened the door for Alabama, and coach Nick Saban publicly tried knocking it down during an appearance on ESPN's The College Football Show on Saturday.

"We lost two games on the road to one Top Five team, one Top 10 team on the last play of the game," Saban said. "But now that [quarterback Bryce Young is] healthier and he's able to practice, I think we're a different team, and I think you should look at the circumstances around a two-loss team versus a one-loss team and how are they playing at the end of the season? How are they playing at the present?"

Despite Alabama being a more talented team than TCU, the AP voters somewhat surprisingly kept the Horned Frogs at No. 3. We'll have to see if the committee follows suit.

Wide receiver Robert Lockhart III, offensive tackle Jordan Hall and defensive back Twan Wilson announced they have decommitted from Jackson State amid news of Deion Sanders taking the head-coaching position at Colorado.

All three players made their announcements on social media:

Sanders closed out an undefeated 2022 season Saturday with a SWAC Championship Game win over Southern and was then almost immediately introduced as Colorado's next coach. The Hall of Fame cornerback went 27-5 over three seasons at Jackson State while bringing national media attention to football at historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs).

The national cache helped Sanders land a number of high-profile recruits who otherwise would have attended FBS powers. 5-star cornerback Travis Hunter committed to Sanders and was dominant in his freshman season at Jackson State. It seems likely Hunter and quarterback Shedeur Sanders, Deion's son, will lead a class of players who will follow Coach Prime from Jackson State to Colorado.

Wide receivers Kevin Coleman Jr. and Quaydarius Davis, defensive lineman KaTron Evans and cornerback De'Jahn Warren are among the other high-profile names currently on the Jackson State roster who could become notable transfers.

Sanders had not locked in a single 4-star or better recruit in his 2023 class, but that will likely soon change as he makes the transition to the Pac-12.

Wide receiver Isiah Kendall and linebackers Kofi Taylor-Barrocks and Jace Ward are the top players remaining in Jackson State's 2023 class at the moment.

Stanford is reportedly targeting Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Greg Roman to replace David Shaw as the Cardinal's next head football coach.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported there is "mutual interest" between the two parties, and Roman has emerged as the vacancy's top candidate.

The 50-year-old has been an NFL offensive assistant for nearly a quarter-century after beginning his career with the Carolina Panthers in 1995. His only collegiate experience came at Stanford during the 2009 and 2010 seasons, when he served as a tight ends and offensive tackles coach under Jim Harbaugh.

When Harbaugh took the San Francisco 49ers' head coaching job in 2011, Shaw was promoted to Stanford's head coach and Roman followed Harbaugh to San Francisco. Roman has served as the offensive coordinator for the 49ers, Buffalo Bills and Ravens over the course of his career.

Baltimore promoted Roman to offensive coordinator in 2019, lining him up with Lamar Jackson's full-time takeover as the team's starting quarterback. Jackson won an MVP during his first season under Roman's tutelage and has made two of the last three Pro Bowls.

There has been some criticism of Roman's offensive philosophy, leading to speculation about his job security after last season, but he would be a solid hire for a Stanford program in desperate need of a revamp.

The Cardinal were 14-28 during Shaw's final four seasons, with his tenure concluding with back-to-back 3-9 campaigns. Stanford has struggled to keep up in the increasingly competitive college recruitment rat race, with NIL money and the ability of players to transfer more freely creating a difficult environment.

Roman has no head-coaching experience but brings an NFL cache that could create an energy that was lacking late in Shaw's tenure.

Deion Sanders is heading to Colorado.

The University of Colorado athletic director Rick George announced Sanders will be the next head football coach for the program.

Per The Athletic's Bruce Feldman, Sanders told his Jackson State players after their victory over Southern in the SWAC Championship Game on Saturday he was leaving for the new job.

Sanders did say during his address to the Tigers he will "finish what we started," which would seem to indicate he will remain with the team through the Celebration Bowl against North Carolina Central on Dec. 17 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

The move has been rumored for most of the week leading up to Saturday's game. Sanders even confirmed he had been offered the Colorado job on Monday during a teleconference call with reporters.

Sanders also said other programs had contacted him to express their interest, but he declined to name them.

Per ESPN's Pete Thamel, Sanders spent most of this week "making inquiries to both potential members of his on-field staff and support staff at Colorado" about joining him at his new job.

Thamel also noted Sanders placed a call to a "prominent player in the NCAA transfer portal" and encouraged him not to make any decision until Sanders could recruit him to Colorado.

Getting Sanders is a huge boon for a program that has had five head coaches since 2018. Mike MacIntyre was fired after a six-game losing streak after starting the 2018 campaign 5-0. Quarterbacks coach Kurt Roper served as interim head coach for the final game of the year.

Mel Tucker went 5-7 in his lone season at Colorado in 2019 before resigning to take the same position at Michigan State. Karl Dorrell made it through two full seasons before being fired this past October after an 0-5 start.

Mike Sanford replaced Dorrell on an interim basis for the final seven games in 2022. The Buffaloes finished this season 1-11, tied for the worst single-season record in program history.

Colorado has only made two bowl appearances since 2008. It has only played for a Pac-12 title once since moving to the conference in 2011.

Sanders is wrapping up a successful three-season run at Jackson State University. He was hired by the program in September 2020 and has led it to a 27-5 record with back-to-back SWAC championships.

The Tigers' 12 wins this season broke the previous record of 11, set in 2021 (11-2). They can complete the first perfect season in program history with a win in the Celebration Bowl.

The University of South Florida is finalizing a deal to make Tennessee offensive coordinator Alex Golesh its next head coach, per ESPN's Pete Thamel.

USF also pursued reportedly Jackson State head coach Deion Sanders for the vacancy before deciding to hire Golesh.

Golesh has spent the last two seasons as Tennessee's offensive coordinator under head coach Josh Heupel. He followed Heupel to Volunteer country from UCF, and also spent time as an assistant at Iowa State, Illinois, Toledo and Oklahoma State during his career.

As offensive coordinator of the Volunteers, Golesh led one of the most prolific offenses in the country this season, so it's no surprise USF pursued him for its head coaching vacancy.

Tennessee averaged 538.1 total yards and 47.3 points per game, which ranks first in the nation. The Vols had the country's third-best passing offense, averaging 332.3 yards per game, and they averaged 205.8 yards per game on the ground.

Because of his success running the Tennessee offense, Golesh is a finalist for the 2022 Broyles Award, which is given to the country's top assistant coach.

Golesh takes over a USF program that finished last in the American Athletic Conference this season with a 1-11 record. It was one of the worst seasons in team history, and Golesh will be tasked with rebuilding a Bulls program that hasn't posted a winning season since 2018.

USF fired Jeff Scott in November after he led the Bulls to a 4-26 record in his three seasons at the helm. He was replaced by Daniel Da Prato, who was named interim head coach for the remainder of the 2022 campaign.

As for Tennessee, Heupel will now have to replace Golesh in Rocky Top. It will be interesting to see how quickly he fills the position, with the early signing period for prospective student-athletes set to begin on Dec. 21.