Alabama football and its fans felt slighted after not making the College Football Playoff as a 9-3 SEC team, despite ugly losses to Oklahoma and Vanderbilt during the season. They were MAD mad about the perceived Alabama snub, and nonsensical talk of the Crimson Tide deserving a playoff spot continued through the first-round games.

Despite a letdown season coming off of a national title, the Wolverines finished the 2024 season with a bang. Michigan took down rival Ohio State for the fourth