In a season of twists and turns, these 10 games decided the College Football Playoff race

Michigan. Washington. Texas. Alabama. How these four teams navigated through twists, turns, upsets and unpredictability to reach the College Football Playoff tells the story of the regular season.

The Wolverines had to get past Penn State and Ohio State. Washington had to beat Oregon, twice. Texas had to beat Alabama, which had to beat Georgia.

But those aren’t the only matchups that determined the makeup of this year’s national semifinals. This foursome needed boosts from games across the Power Five to get here, including a 45-point win against a Championship Subdivision opponent that might qualify as the most important result on the year.

Looking back at the past three-plus months, these are the games that had the biggest impact on the playoff:

Sept. 9: No. 10 Texas 34, No. 3 Alabama 24

The Longhorns dominated this contest and set the tone for the program’s most successful year in more than a decade. While the loss didn’t keep Alabama out of the playoff, the win was the boost Texas needed to finish in the top four. Even had they run the table from there, a road loss to the Crimson Tide probably would’ve pushed the Longhorns out of the top four in favor of Florida State.

Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe (4) is sacked by Texas linebacker David Gbenda (3) during the game at Bryant-Denny Stadium on Saturday, Sep. 9, 2023 in Tuscaloosa,

Sept. 23: No. 12 Alabama 24, No. 16 Mississippi 10

After losing to the Longhorns and struggling to put away South Florida, this win against the Rebels provided the spark that carried Alabama to the SEC championship. This win also marked Jalen Milroe’s return to the starting lineup after a one-game absence. A second loss in September would have eliminated the Tide from playoff contention, likely handed the SEC West to the Rebels or LSU and marked the low point of the program’s dynasty under…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/season-twists-turns-10-games-132529414.html

Author : USA TODAY Sports

Publish date : 2023-12-19 13:25:29

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