Georgia fell to Alabama 35-28 in the SEC Championship and did not return to the College Football Playoff after being a No. 3 seed last season. Is it Oklahoma or Ohio State (or Georgia, as some would like to assert)? After the Sooners beat Texas on Saturday to avenge their only loss, the Bulldogs lost a dramatic Southeastern Conference title game to Alabama and the Buckeyes beat Northwestern for the Big Ten title.

Notre Dame's Fighting Irish, who went 12-0 this season, did not play on Saturday, however, they made the playoff for the first time in school history. The Bulldogs will slip from the No. 4 spot where they started the weekend, though they should remain in the top 10 when the selection committee releases its final set of rankings on Selection Sunday.

The other three teams clinched their spots with victories in their respective conference championship games. The stadium hosted the first national championship game in the CFP era four years ago and a semifinal game three years ago when Alabama beat Michigan State, 38-0.

The Crimson Tide struggled the majority of the game, trailing in the second half by as many as 14. Hurts did the rest, capping the game-winning drive with a 16-yard quarterback sneak.

"They are one of the four best teams in the country".

That protocol, which he recited nearly word-for-word, says that when teams are that close, certain factors should take precedence, the most notable of those being "conference champions". Ohio State was stomped by Purdue midseason, however.