Okay, so the final bracket is out. We have our rankings and we know who is getting the bye week and who is going to struggle without the home-game advantage. But here is the thing: This 12-team bracket has not only made things interesting for the College Football Playoffs, but it has also given rise to some new champions. The entire argument about the strength of schedule and all that will continue to rage on, but one thing is clear: the SEC dominance over the playoff is out of the window. With only 3 SEC teams cracking the spot, the rest are all Big 10, Big 12, ACC, and MW leaders.

This brings us to the main topic: This season has given birth to 6 new first-time players on the playoff list, and here is all you need to know about them. First, let’s clear out the names. Boise State, SMU, Penn State, Indiana, Vols, and Arizona State are our 6 first-time playoff teams. On the top of the list is Penn State. Classic James Franklin and his college football run have come with tons of criticism and praise. Their loss to OSU was seen as a disaster, as it directly put them in a very bad spot. However, the Nittany Lions still managed to crack into the Big 10 championship game.

While they couldn’t beat the top Oregon team, they still managed to snag the No.6 seed. Now, this gives them quite an easy route into the semifinals. See, in the first game, they are hosting the No.11 team, SMU. Going from the pure competition both teams have faced before, Penn State comes out with an advantage. The Mustangs have a SOS that is ranked 75th in the county. It’s not really a good look, but they are still in the playoffs, right?

Now, let’s carry on our discussion with the same team. While they couldn’t win against Clemson during the ACC conference title, they managed to give them quite the fright. The Mustangs were down 17 points in the first half but somehow managed to tie the score in the 4th quarter. Clemson got saved with the final field goal and managed to win the title. Now, the main challenge for the Mustangs will be winning against Penn State, and this, as we pointed out before, will not be easy.

Next on the list is Boise State. With Ashton Jeanty leading the charge, the Broncos were a surprise this season. They had a massive run with only one loss to Oregon, and they are now the No.3 seed on the board. This gives them the bye week to prep for the winner of the Penn State vs SMU game.

Now for the Vols. They couldn’t make the SEC title game, but they sure did upset Bama with that massive win. See, this is another team that sinks and swims based on how their quarterback performs. If Nico Iamaleava is in the perfect mindset, then the Vols can easily go undefeated. But the moment he starts giving those turnovers, Tennessee has practically no counter. They are up against Ohio State, and this game could end up becoming a disaster for Ryan Day.

Oh, Indiana. Folks put some respect on Curt Cignetti‘s name. This man came and conquered like it was just another morning routine. Yeah, OSU managed to put a stain on their record, but this ain’t a team that lost to a 5-loss Michigan team, right? Still, their playoff game won’t be easy. Notre Dame has been amazing throughout the year, with only one bad loss to Northern Illinois. Other than that, the Fighting Irish ain’t someone you wanna take lightly.

We cannot wait to see how Cignetti tackles this. And finally, Arizona State. Imagine putting this team at dead last in predictions for the Big 12 title winner and then watching them win the title with ease against Iowa State. RB Cam Skattebo was a key player in that showdown and HC Kenny Dillingham kind of proved that sometimes it’s better to sit in silence and let your wins do the talking. We did talk about the biggest head-turners this season, so now it is time to talk about the biggest disappointments.

Alabama and Miami are out

For the Hurricanes, we have only one thing to say: Every year we see one ACC team climb the ranks on a weak schedule and self-declare as the best team in the country. Then, they face actual ranked opponents and see what it feels like to fight someone who knows how to throw a punch.

Miami had 2 ranked games this season and lost both of them. Cam Ward this, Cam Ward that, yeah, Cam Ward, couldn’t even get you the ACC conference title game despite having a 10-2 schedule. Imagine that.

Now, walking on the grave of Miami being put in the 12th spot on last week’s rankings was Alabama. Do we have to explain this scenario? Like, how do you go from one of the top teams in the country with a massive win against Georgia to losing against an unranked Vandy? If that wasn’t bad enough, you score THREE POINTS against a 5 loss Sooners team? Like what?

Yeah, Bama being thrown out of the 12-team bracket actually suits them. This just wasn’t the year for Kalen DeBoer and Co. and Jalen Milroe needs another year in the microwave if he wants to do something for the Tide.

Man, this entire season was a rollercoaster.