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College Football Playoff: Final Top 4, semifinal matchups revealed

275133747_4796292347117549_592518599057046758_nby:Jonathan Wagner•12/04/22•

Jonathan Wagner

cfp top 4
Robin Alam/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images.

The College Football Playoff field has been officially set, as the finalized Top 4 was unveiled on Sunday. After weeks of speculation and hypotheticals, the field is now set in stone. Now, just four teams have a shot to win a national championship this season. Even if they aren’t the same four teams that were expected to be competing in the CFP entering conference championship weekend.

Georgia and Michigan were No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, entering the weekend. Both played in conference championship games, and neither team was at any risk of falling out of the College Football Playoff Top 4 regardless of the result of their games. It didn’t matter for either of them, though, as Georgia defeated No. 14 LSU, 50-30, to win the SEC Championship while Michigan beat Purdue 43-22 to earn the Big Ten crown.

TCU entered the weekend sitting at No. 3. Most believed that the Horned Frogs were a lock for the CFP even with a loss in the Big 12 title game, though that was not set in stone. TCU battled in a tight game against No. 10 Kansas State, and the Horned Frogs ultimately fell in overtime, 31-28.

No. 4 USC likely just needed to win the Pac-12 title to solidify the Trojans’ spot in the CFP, but instead No. 11 Utah played spoiler. It was the second time Utah beat USC this season, with those being the Trojans’ only two losses. Friday’s loss was a deflating one, as it wiped USC out of the Playoff, and opened up the possibility of No. 5 Ohio State or No. 6 Alabama jumping back in.

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After TCU lost, some wondered if perhaps both Ohio State and Alabama could find their ways back into the field. In the end, though, there was only room for one of the Buckeyes and Crimson Tide.

Each and every week this season, the projected CFP field was shaken up due to a high number of upsets throughout the country. But now, the College Football Playoff is officially set and the quest for a national championship continues on for the four teams that made the cut.

Final College Football Playoff Top 6, semifinal matchups

  1. Georgia (13-0)
  2. Michigan (13-0)
  3. TCU (12-1)
  4. Ohio State (11-1)
  5. Alabama (10-2)
  6. Tennessee (10-2)

Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl

No. 1 Georgia vs. No. 4 Ohio State

Vrbo Fiesta Bowl

No. 2 Michigan vs. No. 3 TCU