Alabama's Cotton Bowl win vs. Cincinnati, Georgia's Orange Bowl win vs. Michigan add to list of CFP semifinal duds
ARLINGTON, Texas — Was Cincinnati unworthy? Is Alabama football that good? Or was this just part of a continuous trend unfolding at college football's highest level?
After Alabama's 27-6 win Friday in the Cotton Bowl at AT&T Stadium talking heads will surely opine about whether the Crimson Tide's opponent belonged among the semifinalists in the first place. Cincinnati (13-1) was the first Group of Five conference program to make the College Football Playoff. Alabama (13-1) scored on the opening drive and never relinquished that lead, advancing to the national championship game on Jan. 10 in Indianapolis against Georgia, which defeated Michigan 34-11 later Friday night in the Orange Bowl.
As the Cotton Bowl shapes the discourse regarding future minor-conference unbeatens, it's worth remembering that Power Five programs have faced the same sour results in past semifinals against the Tide.
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Alabama has played in seven of the 16 semifinal games in CFP history, going 6-1. In those six wins, its average margin of victory is 20.3 points (putting Cincinnati right around the mean). Alabama's only semifinal loss was seven years ago vs. Ohio State, one of three in CFP history to be decided by one score.
Georgia's 23-point win over Michigan – which saw the Bulldogs lead 27-3 at the half and 34-3 before the Wolverines scored a garbage time touchdown – actually made the average point differential in the semifinals even worse.
In the 16 total semifinal games in the CFP era, the average point differential is now 21.1.
2021-22
Alabama 27, Cincinnati 6
Georgia 34, Michigan 11
2020-21
Alabama 31, Notre Dame 14
Ohio State 49, Clemson 28
2019-20
LSU 63, Oklahoma 28
Clemson 29, Ohio State 23
2018-19
Alabama 45, Oklahoma 34
Clemson 30, Notre Dame 3
2017-18
Alabama 24, Clemson 6
Georgia 54, Oklahoma 48 (2OT)
2016-17
Alabama 24, Washington 7
Clemson 31, Ohio State 0
2015-16
Clemson 37, Oklahoma 17
Alabama 38, Michigan State 0
2014-15
Ohio State 42, Alabama 35
Oregon 59, Florida State 20