Football has become one of the most famous American sports, with millions of fans around the nation since it was first introduced in the 1800s. This includes professional leagues such as the National Football League (NFL), but also college and high school level games. College football is often considered to be a tier bridging high school and NFL level play, with athletes’ performances in college directly affecting their chances of being drafted onto professional NFL teams. The sport is very popular with the student population of the colleges themselves, but also in the general public; televised college football had nearly 70 million eager viewers last year.

This time of year brings both anticipation and excitement to fans because it is nearly time to finalize which teams will make it into the playoffs. The playoff system is a fairly new system, implemented in 2014, which allows for one clear winner as the champion school of the entire nation. The four teams chosen to take part in the playoffs are chosen not only based off their win-loss record, but also on the basis of the difficulty of their their schedule and their performance at the conference championships. This system, known as the Power Rankings, ensures that only the best of the best end up participating.

So who is in the playoffs this year? At the beginning of the weekend (12/2 and 12/3), the teams were ranked as:

#1) Clemson University (11-1), #2) Auburn University (10-2), #3) University of Oklahoma (11-1), #4) University of Wisconsin (12-0)

Right below those top four teams were:

#5) University of Alabama (11-1), #6) University of Georgia (11-1), #7) University of Miami (10-1), #8) Ohio State University (10-2)

However, all top four teams had play-off games this weekend, all against teams listed 6-8 on the Power Rankings, with the exception of the University of Oklahoma. Some of these games had results which affected the qualifying contenders for the playoffs.

The first game was Clemson University (ranked #1) against University of Miami (ranked #7)—also known as the Atlantic Coast Conference Playoff. Much to the disappointment of many UM fans, the game was a complete blowout with Clemson winning 38-3. Two touchdowns in the first quarter allowed Clemson an early lead which they continued to build upon throughout the game. The University of Miami also struggled to get anything going on offense, only scoring one field goal in the fourth quarter. This win solidifies Clemson University’s spot as the number one ranked team in America, who will certainly be competing in the 2017 playoffs.

“The UM loss was pretty disappointing. They have come so far this season, and it was frustrating to watch them lose so badly,” freshman Nicolas Cruz said.

The second match played Saturday night was between Auburn University (ranked #2) and University of Georgia (ranked #6). This game is known as the Southeast Conference Playoff. It was played in Atlanta, the hometown of the University of Georgia, at the Mercedes-Benz stadium. Though Auburn scored the first touchdown of the game in the first quarter, they never saw the end zone again while the University of Georgia went on to score several times. Georgia’s 28-7 victory means that it will compete in the playoffs.

This year’s Big 12 Playoff was between the University of Oklahoma (ranked #3) and TCU (ranked #11). TCU had the home field advantage in Arlington, Texas, but ultimately could not keep up with the University of Oklahoma. Oklahoma had a strong start with a first quarter score of 17-0. TCU managed somewhat of a comeback in the second quarter for a halftime score of 24-17, but the University of Oklahoma continued to score in the second half, while TCU did not. The final score was 41-17. This victory for the University of Oklahoma means that they will remain in the top four teams and advance to the playoffs.

The last playoff game of the weekend was the University of Wisconsin (ranked #4) against Ohio State University (ranked #8), also known as the Big 10 Playoff. The game was a close match, with both teams battling hard the entire time. However, Ohio State kept the lead the entire game and won 27-21. Though this win was an impressive feat by Ohio State, the final slot in the top four play off teams was awarded to the University of Alabama on Sunday afternoon. The University of Alabama was ranked #5 at the beginning of the weekend, and only had one loss as compared to Ohio State’s two.

“I was rooting for Alabama because their only loss was to Clemson, the number two ranked team. They deserve to be in the top four,” says sophomore Kriss Castro.

The top four teams – Clemson University, University of Georgia, University of Oklahoma, and University of Alabama – are scheduled to begin their playoff games on New Year’s Day. #3 Georgia will play #2 Oklahoma at 5 p.m. in Pasadena, California for the Rose Bowl Game while #1 Clemson will play #4  Alabama at 8:45 p.m in New Orleans, Louisiana for the Sugar Bowl Game. The winners of these games will play each other on Jan. 8, 2018, to decide who is the number one team in college football this year.