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3 things we learned from College Football Playoff semifinals

By Chris Peterson

Dec 31, 2021; Arlington, Texas, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Bryce Young (9) reacts after throwing a touchdown in the fourth quarter against the Cincinnati Bearcats during the 2021 Cotton Bowl college football CFP national semifinal game at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 31, 2021; Arlington, Texas, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Bryce Young (9) reacts after throwing a touchdown in the fourth quarter against the Cincinnati Bearcats during the 2021 Cotton Bowl college football CFP national semifinal game at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports /
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Now that the College Football Playoff semifinals are in the books, here’s what we learned from the Orange and Cotton Bowls. 

We should have known and most of us did when the bracket was released that it would be an All-SEC national championship game, but it was clear again after watching the College Football Playoff semifinals that the SEC still owns college football.

Georgia absolutely dominated Michigan in the nightcap and even though the win was probably a little more impressive than Alabama’s over Cincinnati, neither felt in doubt.

Michigan and Cincinnati are both great teams in their own right. Each program deserves to be ranked in the top five of the final AP poll. But both were exposed a little in the College Football Playoff, something that happens regularly at the hands of SEC teams.

Nick Saban has lost once in the College Football Playoff semifinals. And that was back in 2014. Kirby Smart is 2-0 in that round too and after last night, it’s clear there is the SEC and everyone else.

1. SEC rules college football

That saying that winning the SEC championship is as tough to win as the national championship proved to be true once again this season. Georgia could very well win the national title without even winning the SEC, something Nick Saban and company did back in 2011.

And as good as Michigan and Cincy have been and are, they just weren’t a match for Alabama and Georgia who have blue-chip ratios near 90 percent in recruiting.

It would be like the Super Bowl champions or participants, getting to select nine of the first 10 picks in the upcoming NFL draft, but that’s exactly what happens in college football recruiting.

The rich get richer and teams like Michigan and Cincy just have to hope their playoff appearance can help them start to keep up.

But all that talk about the SEC being down a little, which crept up after a 1-5 start in bowl games, was proven false. The national title runs through the Southeastern Conference and that’s not going to change anytime soon.

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