College Football Playoff contenders selected

After a weekend of conference championship games, college football’s final rankings are out, and the stage is set for next month’s College Football Playoff (CFP). Defending national champion Clemson of the Atlantic Coast Conference is ranked No. 1, followed by Oklahoma of the Big 12 and Georgia and Alabama of the Southeastern Conference. The semifinals are set for New Year’s Day, with Oklahoma and Georgia squaring off in the Rose Bowl and Clemson taking on Alabama in the Sugar Bowl. Unlike the three other semifinalists, Alabama did not win its conference championship, but the CFP selection committee deemed the Crimson Tide “unequivocally better” than Big Ten champion Ohio State. It’s the first time a single conference has claimed two of the four playoff spots since the current system began in 2014. The national championship game pitting the two semifinal winners will take place on Jan. 8 in Atlanta at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.