The teams seemed like safe bets to make the four College Football Playoff spots, but speculation still swirled about their invitations until Sunday’s announcement made it official: No. 1 Alabama (11-0), No. 2 Clemson (10-1), No. 3 Ohio State (6-0), No. 4 Notre Dame (10-1).
Alabama will play Notre Dame in a Jan. 1 semifinal match at the Rose Bowl, which was moved from Pasadena, Calif., to Dallas for the first time in history. The California region is a COVID-19 hot spot, but Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly still lobbied for a new location so families could attend the semifinal.