GKJ
Global Moderator
- Feb 27, 2002
- 187,078
- 39,111
I write this on it's eve, but welcome to 2024, and the final 4-team college football playoff. After 10 years of bitching about leaving out the #5 team instead of the #3 team in the BCS-era, next year we'll get to complain about who should be #12 in years that a group of five team isn't highly ranked. Unfortunately, we had more teams deserve to be here this year than we had spots for.
It's simple: both semifinals are on New Years' Day, with the winners meeting in Houston on January 8.
The Rose Bowl kicks off at 5pm EST in Pasadena, with #4 Alabama vs. #1 Michigan. Alabama last played in the Rose Bowl Game in 2021, but that game was in Dallas. They last played in Pasadena in the 2010 BCS National Championship Game. They last played the Rose Bowl Game in Pasadena in 1946, a 34-14 win over USC. It's the first time Michigan is playing in the Rose Bowl since a 32-18 loss to USC in 2008 (strange to think about), and have not won the Rose Bowl since winning the last winning a split of the national championship beating Washington State 21-16 in 1998. Michigan is currently, just a 1.5-point favorite, and the over/under is 44.5. We know Nick Saban loves being an underdog, and we know Jim Harbaugh, having overcome two suspensions, is still being ambiguous about a return to the NFL.
The Sugar Bowl kicks off at 8:45pm EST in New Orleans, with #3 Texas playing #2 Washington in a rematch of last year's Alamo Bowl, which Washington won 27-20, and a matchup of two teams switching conferences next year. Texas has never played in the College Football playoff, while Washington has never played in the Sugar Bowl. Texas has it's second trip since 1995, having beat Georgia 28-21 in 2019. Washington famously ran a brutally difficult gauntlet in the Pac 12, and did so undefeated, with a number of close wins, including Oregon twice. Texas is favored by 4, and after beating Alabama on the road early in the season, sort of meandered through their conference schedule before a couple of impressive wins in their final two games.
And yes, these are A+ programs. Most of the A+ programs at least.
It's simple: both semifinals are on New Years' Day, with the winners meeting in Houston on January 8.
The Rose Bowl kicks off at 5pm EST in Pasadena, with #4 Alabama vs. #1 Michigan. Alabama last played in the Rose Bowl Game in 2021, but that game was in Dallas. They last played in Pasadena in the 2010 BCS National Championship Game. They last played the Rose Bowl Game in Pasadena in 1946, a 34-14 win over USC. It's the first time Michigan is playing in the Rose Bowl since a 32-18 loss to USC in 2008 (strange to think about), and have not won the Rose Bowl since winning the last winning a split of the national championship beating Washington State 21-16 in 1998. Michigan is currently, just a 1.5-point favorite, and the over/under is 44.5. We know Nick Saban loves being an underdog, and we know Jim Harbaugh, having overcome two suspensions, is still being ambiguous about a return to the NFL.
The Sugar Bowl kicks off at 8:45pm EST in New Orleans, with #3 Texas playing #2 Washington in a rematch of last year's Alamo Bowl, which Washington won 27-20, and a matchup of two teams switching conferences next year. Texas has never played in the College Football playoff, while Washington has never played in the Sugar Bowl. Texas has it's second trip since 1995, having beat Georgia 28-21 in 2019. Washington famously ran a brutally difficult gauntlet in the Pac 12, and did so undefeated, with a number of close wins, including Oregon twice. Texas is favored by 4, and after beating Alabama on the road early in the season, sort of meandered through their conference schedule before a couple of impressive wins in their final two games.
And yes, these are A+ programs. Most of the A+ programs at least.
You're ridiculously lucky he didn't stay in bounds.
