College Football Playoff announces new protocol for semifinals and National Championship

The College Football Playoff announced changes to its postseason protocol on Wednesday, and Georgia could be affected. The Bulldogs are one of four teams in the College Football Playoffs, scheduled to take on No. 2 Michigan in the Capital One Orange Bowl on December 31 with the winner advancing to the National Championship Game. Things could be different now.

“As we prepare for the Playoff, it’s wise and necessary to put into place additional precautions to protect those who will play and coach the games,” Bill Hancock, Executive Director of the CFP, said in an announcement.  “These policies will better protect our students and staffs while providing clarity in the event worst-case scenarios result.”

For both the Orange Bowl and Cotton Bowl, the two Playoff semifinals, “if one team is unavailable to play, the unavailable team shall forfeit the game and its opponent would advance to the national championship game.” Meanwhile, “if both teams are unavailable to play in one semifinal, the semifinal game would be declared ‘no contest’ and the team winning the other semifinal game would be declared the CFP National Champion.”

Other protocols are in place for situations including three teams being unavailable to play with the last team standing taking home the title and for the College Football Playoff National Championship Game.

“If the team’s unavailability is determined after the Playoff Semifinals have been conducted, the national championship game in Indianapolis may be rescheduled to no later than Friday, January 14. If one team is able to play and the other is not and the game cannot be rescheduled or is rescheduled and cannot be played, then the team unable to play shall forfeit the game and the other team shall be declared CFP National Champion. If both teams are unable to play on either an original or rescheduled date, then the game shall be declared ‘no contest’ and the CFP National Championship shall be vacated for this season.”

Other protocol changes include the teams’ travel to the bowl site. Georgia was scheduled to arrive in Miami on December 26th, five days before the bowl game. However, now, the Bulldogs will have the choice to arrive as late as 48 hours before kickoff. One would assume that Kirby Smart and company would choose that option, keeping the team contained and doing their best to stay healthy in Athens rather fighting that battle on the road in Miami.

Georgia had positive COVID-19 tests pop up within the program on Tuesday afternoon with reports of both JT Daniels and George Pickens testing positive. DawgsHQ has been able to confirm both, but Pickens’ was reportedly followed up with a negative test. SEC testing protocol, which the team will continue to abide by even with an opponent from outside the conference, states that players can return to play after 11 days assuming no new symptoms arise or as soon as 8 days after the fact with a negative test coming on the fifth, sixth or seventh day.

The Bulldogs also aren’t the only program in the Playoff dealing with COVID concerns. Alabama announced that offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien and offensive line coach Doug Marone both tested positive on Wednesday. Georgia head coach Kirby Smart addressed his concerns with the rising rates of the virus last week.

“Ron (Courson) has had a heightened awareness in the recent weeks and days,” Smart said. “We’ve got a large portion of our team that’s been vaccinated and continues to be diligent about that. We ask the guys that aren’t to be extra safe. We’ve taken some precautions around the building and to be smart. It’s certainly that time of year, we had a little bout with the flu there that made me concerned as well about COVID. Here in the last couple of days, we’ve been on top of it and our guys are understanding that we have to be safe and cannot lose anybody at this time. Ron and his staff have been incredible.”

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