-
ESPN staff
In the last edition of playoff picks before the College Football Playoff field is announced, we got plenty of upheaval and change.
Alabama and Georgia finally squared off in the SEC title game after a season of anticipation. The game itself didn’t live up to the hype as the Crimson Tide went up two scores in the third quarter and never looked back in a 41-24 rout. The blowout win moved Alabama to the No. 1 spot on 10 of the ballots this week. Georgia had been the unanimous No. 1 pick every week since the Tide fell to Texas A&M early in the season.
The Bulldogs were also selected on every ballot but where they end up in the top four after the 17-point loss will be up to the playoff committee.
In what was the story of the season, Cincinnati rolled in the American Athletic Conference title game, 35-20, over Houston to finish the season 13-0. The undefeated record, along with losses from Georgia and Oklahoma State, means the Bearcats are likely to become the first Group of 5 team to make the College Football Playoff. This makes Cincinnati a unanimous selection this week.
The final game with playoff implications on Saturday was the Big Ten championship and Michigan made quick work of the tilt with Iowa to claim its spot in the top four. The Wolverines rushed out to a 14-3 lead at half and ended up winning 42-3 to cap off a 12-1 record. Michigan was also selected on every ballot following the win.
With the results of championship Saturday, the same four teams landed on every ballot in varying order.
Andrea Adelson: 1. Michigan, 2. Alabama, 3. Cincinnati, 4. Georgia
Kyle Bonagura: 1. Alabama, 2. Michigan, 3. Georgia 4. Cincinnati
Bill Connelly: 1. Alabama, 2. Michigan, 3. Cincinnati, 4. Georgia
Heather Dinich: 1. Alabama, 2. Michigan, 3. Georgia, 4. Cincinnati
David M. Hale: 1. Michigan, 2. Alabama, 3. Cincinnati, 4. Georgia
Chris Low: 1. Alabama, 2. Michigan, 3. Georgia, 4. Cincinnati
Harry Lyles Jr.: 1. Alabama, 2. Michigan, 3. Cincinnati, 4. Georgia
Adam Rittenberg: 1. Alabama, 2. Michigan, 3. Georgia, 4. Cincinnati
Alex Scarborough: 1. Alabama, 2. Michigan, 3. Georgia, 4. Cincinnati
Mark Schlabach: 1. Alabama, 2. Michigan, 3. Georgia, 4. Cincinnati
Paolo Uggetti: 1. Alabama, 2. Michigan, 3. Georgia, 4. Cincinnati
Tom VanHaaren: 1. Michigan, 2. Alabama, 3. Georgia, 4. Cincinnati
Dave Wilson: 1. Alabama, 2. Michigan, 3. Georgia, 4. Cincinnati