Alabama Picked for Final Four in College Football Playoffs

UNDATED (AP) — The College Football Playoff semifinals will include two members of the SEC.

Alabama has beaten out Ohio State for the final berth in a field that has No. 1 Clemson, No. 2 Oklahoma and No. 3 Georgia. The Crimson Tide are the only non-conference champion to make it, sneaking in on the strength of the Bulldogs' 28-7 win over previous No. 2 Auburn in the SEC title game. The Tide also got a break when the Buckeyes topped Wisconsin 27-21 in Saturday's Big Ten championship game. Ohio State backers felt their team had earned the final CFP slot by winning the conference title.

Auburn and Wisconsin were likely semifinalists if they had won their conference championship games.

The CFP semifinals are slated for New Year's Day. Clemson will take on Alabama at the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans. Georgia and Oklahoma will square off in the 104th Rose Bowl.

The Associated Press football poll also has Clemson at No. 1, followed by Oklahoma, Georgia, Alabama and Ohio State.

Wisconsin is sixth, ahead of Auburn, Southern Cal, Penn State and Central Florida. UCF is the only major college program to go unbeaten in the regular season.