The best four teams? That turned out to be the easy part. From a goal-line stand in Arlington to an upset romp in Atlanta to expected double-digit victories in Cincinnati and Indianapolis, the College Football Playoff field tidily sorted itself out on the final day.
Putting those four in order? That was the hard part, with legitimate debates at both the top and bottom of the bracket. The differences between No. 1 Alabama and No. 2 Michigan look close on paper but CFP selection committee chair Gary Barta said there was “strong consensus” in having the Crimson Tide ahead of the Wolverines.