After four-plus months of on-field battles and behind-the-scenes politicking among coaches, athletic directors, and fans, the College Football Playoff selection committee finally announced the 12-team field on Sunday. This decision has sparked intense debates and raised numerous questions among college football enthusiasts.

SMU's Last-Minute Entry and Alabama's Omission

The biggest question entering Sunday was who would secure the final at-large spot between Alabama and SMU. The committee's decision to include SMU (11-2) in the field despite their last-second loss to Clemson in the ACC championship game was a shocker. Alabama (9-3), which failed to make its conference title game, was left out. This decision will likely be debated for a long time. As for the rest of the bracket, here's how it shook out:

First-Round Byes

Oregon (13-0, Big Ten champion) and Georgia (11-2, SEC champion) earned the top two byes. Boise State (12-1, Mountain West champion) and Arizona State (11-2, Big 12 champion) also secured first-round byes. These four teams are set to enter the playoff in a more favorable position.

First-Round Matchups

No. 12 Clemson (10-3, ACC champion) will face No. 5 Texas (11-2, at-large) in the first round. No. 11 SMU (11-2, at-large) will take on No. 6 Penn State (11-2, at-large). No. 10 Indiana (11-1, at-large) will battle No. 7 Notre Dame (11-1, at-large), and No. 9 Tennessee (10-2, at-large) will meet No. 8 Ohio State (10-2, at-large). These matchups promise to be intense and will determine which teams move forward in the playoff.

Live Updates and Team Movements

SMU's last-minute entry into the playoff field after their close loss to Clemson has created a buzz. They will now head to Penn State to take on the Nittany Lions. Indiana will travel to Notre Dame in South Bend, while Tennessee will face Ohio State in Columbus. The Nittany Lions, Fighting Irish, and Buckeyes will all host playoff games in their home stadiums. Texas landed at No. 5 and will face Clemson. The Big Ten, SEC, MWC, and Big 12 champs will get the first-round byes, as expected.

Analyst's Take and Fan Reactions

Analyst Kirk Herbstreit did call out the Alabama loss to Oklahoma later in the broadcast, highlighting the consternation among fans. Nick Saban is already lobbying for Alabama over SMU on the selection show, but his argument was met with some skepticism. There will be plenty of discussions and debates among fans and experts as the playoff unfolds.

On to the Rankings and Beyond

As expected, Oregon is ranked No. 1 and Georgia is No. 2. The AP poll has no bearing on the CFP rankings, but it provides an interesting perspective. The Mayo Bowl summed up the mood of college football fans with its unique set of tweets. The CFP Selection Show is underway, and fans are eagerly waiting to see how the rest of the field will look. There have been plenty of coaching carousel updates and discussions about how to choose a better CFP field. The past 24 hours have seen a lot of movement on the coaching front, adding another layer of excitement to the college football season.

Getty Images witnessed an enthralling second One Day International (ODI) between England and South Africa in Durban. BBC Sport Journalist Ffion Wynne was on the ground to capture all the drama. The match took place on 8 December 2024, 12:30 GMT, with updates coming in 4 hours ago.

England's Series-Leveling Victory

England emerged victorious with a clinical six-wicket win, leveling the one-day international series. After South Africa's chaotic middle-order collapse, the Proteas, who were in control at 72-2 after 16 overs, lost five wickets for just four runs in 12 balls. England spinner Charlie Dean took a hat-trick across two overs, finishing with 4-45 as the hosts were bowled out for 135 in 31.3 overs. Fellow spinners Sophie Ecclestone and seamer Lauren Filer took three wickets each. Tammy Beaumont and Maia Bouchier added 69 for the first wicket in England's reply, with Danni Wyatt-Hodge's unbeaten 25 steering them to victory in the 24th over.

The Drama Before South Africa's Innings

Before South Africa's innings, there was a patient stand of 58 between Annerie Dercksen and captain Laura Wolvaardt. Filer's eye-catching opening burst saw the Proteas reduced to 14-2 inside the first four overs. The dismissal of Dercksen triggered the collapse as she fell to Dean for 29 in the 17th over. Star all-rounder Marizanne Kapp then uncharacteristically chipped to mid-off for a duck three balls later. Ecclestone claimed the wicket of Laura Wolvaardt for 35 in the following over, and Dean completed her hat-trick with Nadine de Klerk caught at slip and Sinalo Jafta pinned lbw, leaving South Africa's innings in tatters on 76-7. Chloe Tryon's counter-attacking 45 rescued the Proteas but their bowlers struggled to build pressure.

Fiery Filer's Impact

After a disappointing series opener when England were bowled out for 186 in Kimberley, their bowlers delivered in ruthless fashion. Filer was electric, making the most of the new ball with a hostile opening four-over spell. Opener Tazmin Brits drove her first ball for four but Filer immediately corrected herself and knocked middle stump out. She gave number three Sune Luus a tough short-ball examination, forcing her to duck and eventually nailing her plan with a fuller delivery. From there, captain Wolvaardt and Dercksen regrouped and blunted England's attack. But chaos followed as Dean turned the game on its head. Dercksen's soft dismissal kickstarted the collapse, and Kapp's bizarre shot rocked the lineup. Filer returned and bowled Nonkululeko Mlaba with a fierce yorker, finishing with 3-32.

Bouchier & Beaumont's Role

The importance of Filer's extra pace was evident in the second innings as South Africa's seamers couldn't extract any life from the pitch. Bouchier, who missed the opening match with a neck injury, played fluently for her 33 from 36 balls as South Africa offered her too much width. As early wickets were their only route to victory, the hosts had to be attacking but were unsuccessful. Bouchier was caught at mid-wicket in the 12th over, and Beaumont fell for 34 from 52 balls four overs later. Knight fell three balls later for seven, but the experience of Wyatt-Hodge and Nat Sciver-Brunt ensured England didn't collapse with an unflustered stand of 47.

Reactions from the Players

England captain Heather Knight said, "After the other day we were a little disappointed, but the bowlers set the tone. Lauren Filer is exciting to field at first slip." South Africa captain Laura Wolvaardt said, "A tough day out, we just didn't have enough runs on the board. It's always tough batting first in Durban." Player of the match Charlie Dean said, "I didn't even realise I had a hat-trick so it was great to find that out afterwards! I am pleased with my game at the moment and becoming more consistent."