The CFB committee found itself in an impossible position last offseason, with six serious contenders for the four playoff spots. Undefeated Michigan entered the playoffs with little drama, leaving nothing to do for the undefeated Seminoles, a trio of major conference champions with one loss each in Washington, Texas and Alabama, and a Georgia team that spent most of the season ranked No. 1 but suffered its only loss to the Crimson Tide in the SEC championship game.

Ultimately, the committee left out Florida State – which played without quarterback Jordan Travis and was sluggish offensively in the final period despite being undefeated – and Georgia. Alabama lost an overtime thriller to Michigan in the CFP semifinals and the Wolverines won the title.

This year the format will be expanded to 12 teams, hopefully avoiding the chaos that resulted in two deserving teams being unable to compete.