Mr. CFB: There Is No SEC Team In CFP Championship. You May Begin Your Celebration.

For the first time since 2014, the SEC will not be in the last game of the college football season. And a lot of people are pretty happy about that.

The first four-team College Football Playoff was held in 2014. In the semi-finals in New Orleans, Ohio State beat Alabama 42-35 to advance to the national championship. The Buckeyes would then beat Oregon 42-20 for the national title.

Little did we know that it woulld be the last time for a long time that the CFP championship game would be played without an SEC team. 

If you are keeping score at home, and many of your are, the SEC has had a team in the title game for eight straight years. Here's the breakdown.  A * marks the team that won.

2015: Alabama* vs. Clemson

2016: Alabama vs. Clemson*

2017: Georgia vs. Alabama*

2018: Alabama vs. Clemson*

2019: LSU* vs. Clemson

2020: Alabama* vs. Ohio State

2021: Georgia* vs. Alabama

2022: Georgia* vs. TCU

Not only did the SEC make it to the last game for eight straight years, but in 2017 and 2021 both teams in the championship game were from the SEC.

It's been a helluva run for the SEC but it comes to an end Monday night when No. 1 Michigan (14-0) faces No. 2 Washington (14-0).

The reaction I've gotten since the Rose Bowl loss by Alabama has been from two different camps.

Some SEC fans told me they would not be watching. I don't believe that for one minute. But it will be interesting to see the television ratings in Birmingham, which is consistently ESPN's top performing college football market, and Atlanta.

Other fans, however, are thrilled to have two new teams because, quite frankly, they are sick of watching the SEC year after year. Remember that the SEC has won 13 of the last 17 national championships. SEC fatigue is a real thing.

So change is good. I hope Monday night's game between Michigan and Washington is entertaining. The clash in styles will be fun and let me say this: Washington quarterback Michael Penix, Jr. is the real deal. He is fun to watch. 

I will be watching and so will our brothers and sisters in the South. Hey, it's the last college football game of the season before we enter that dark, cold emptiness that lasts until spring football.

I heard someone on the radio who said the most uplifting thing we'll get between now and April are promos for The Masters on ESPN.

But there is one thread to which I must respond.  And that is the notion that  Alabama's loss to Michigan and the SEC's 5-4 record in bowl games is a sign that the conference is slipping as we enter a new phase of conference realignment.

Pleasee.

First of all, the SEC went 4-2 in bowl games against the the Big Ten which included Missouri over Ohio State, Ole Miss over Penn Statee, Tennessee over Iowa (35-0) and LSU over Wisconsin. Texas and Oklahoma climb on board the SEC train this season and that will only make it faster and more powerful.

But we should also note that USC, UCLA, Washington and Oregon are joining the Big Ten to form an impressive 18-team conference.

The 12-team College Football Playoff begins next season and there is little doubt which conferences will dominate the sport.

In fact, there is your first college football wager of th 2024 season. There will be 12 teams in the College Football Playoffs. What's the over/under of how many of those playoff spots go to the SEC and Big Ten?

I'm going with 6 1/2. 

Have a fun championship game.