Scott Polacek is the featured Columnist for December 5, 2021.
AP Photo/Brynn Anderson
The biggest storyline heading into Sunday's reveal of the College Football Playoff field was Alabama's stunning victory over Georgia in the SEC Championship Game, but that wasn't even the biggest story.
Cincinnati made history.
The first Group of Five conference team to make the CFP was the Bearcats. Alabama, Georgia, and Michigan are going to join them in the chase for the ultimate prize.
1. Alabama.
2. The state of Michigan.
3. Georgia.
4. The city of Cincinnati.
5. Notre Dame.
6. Ohio State.
The Tide will play the Bearcats at the Cotton Bowl, while the Wolverines will play the Bulldogs at the Orange Bowl.
Ross Dellenger is a friend of mine.
>
Did the committee avoid the UGA-Bama game?
>
The answer is no.
Ross Dellenger is a friend of mine.
>
Gary Barta says there was a strong consensus in Cincinnati.
>
>
One of the biggest storylines of the season was whether or not Cincinnati would complete its quest for the CFP after it stunned Notre Dame.
The Fighting Irish won the rest of their games while playing their way back into the discussion of the playoffs. Cincinnati would have one of the season's most impressive wins because of the bounce-back efforts of the Irish.
There was a lot of chaos around it.
There was no team with fewer than two losses in the Big 12. That meant that powerhouses such as Oklahoma were not included in the playoff race.
Oregon was in the picture longer because of its win at Ohio State, but it lost to Utah and Missouri in the last two weeks of the season, which eliminated the conference from the picture.
With the SEC taking half the spots, Cincinnati had room to make the field even with three Power Five leagues out of the chase. Alabama, which looked more vulnerable than it usually does a number of times this year, beat the previously undisputed No. 1 Bulldog in convincing fashion on Saturday.
The season has been anything but typical, but the Tide may have to defeat Georgia again to win the title.
Michigan, a traditional powerhouse, has fallen off in recent years due to the dominance of the rival Ohio State.
Chris Fallica is a person.
>
Michigan is the first team to reach the CFP after being unranked in the preseason.
>
>
This year was different, as the UM beat Ohio State for the first time in a decade and then blew out Iowa in the Big Ten Championship Game.
The contest put the finishing touches on a four-team field that is largely without controversy and features the reigning champion, a challenger from their own conference, and a traditional powerhouse that has rediscovered its winning ways.
The national title game is in Indianapolis.
