College football finalizes its final four

After Saturday’s conference championship games, the four College Football Playoff teams are set. The top three teams were easy choices for the selection committee, with undefeated Alabama, Clemson, and Notre Dame earning their slots. But the selection of the fourth team was a bit more complicated, with Oklahoma edging out Georgia and Ohio State.

Oklahoma (12-1) found favor with the committee after the Sooners avenged an earlier loss this season to No. 15 Texas in Saturday’s Big 12 championship game. Georgia (11-2), which had fallen to No. 11 Louisiana State earlier this year, lost its bid to be among the top four when the Bulldogs lost Saturday’s Southeastern Conference championship game to Alabama (13-0). Ohio State (12-1) did what it had to do Saturday by winning the Big Ten title over Northwestern, but the Buckeyes’ blowout loss earlier this season to unranked Purdue cost them any serious consideration for the playoff. Meanwhile, Clemson (13-0) took care of business Saturday by winning the Atlantic Coast Conference championship game over unranked Pittsburgh.

No. 2 Clemson will face No. 3 Notre Dame (12-0), an independent in football, on Dec. 29 in the Cotton Bowl in Arlington, Texas. That same day, No. 1 Alabama will play fourth-seeded Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl in Miami. The winners will battle for the national championship on Jan. 7 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif.