Ann Arbor — Michigan, which believed it had a legitimate shot at the No. 1 ranking after a rout of Iowa in the Big Ten title game, is the No. 2 seed in the College Football Playoff and will face Georgia in the national championship semifinals.
The teams will meet Dec. 31 in the Orange Bowl, the winner advancing to the national championship game on Jan. 10 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. Kickoff for the semifinal is 7:30 p.m. at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, on ESPN.
Top seed Alabama, which defeated previous No.