Seven takeaways from the College Football Playoff selection show

Expanding from four teams to 12 has done nothing to lessen the controversy and drama surrounding the College Football Playoff. The discourse will continue, but there is no guesswork left. The field is set.

Conference championship weekend provided chaos, and several teams felt the effects of No. 16 Clemson's win over No. 8 SMU in the ACC Championship Game, along with No. 2 Georgia's win over No. 5 Texas in the SEC Championship Game.

Here are seven takeaways from the CFP selection show.

1. The committee valued wins

Alabama (9-3) and SMU (11-2) were the big debate heading into the show. The committee chose SMU, seeding it 11th. The Mustangs suffered a 34-31 loss to Clemson, which wasn't enough for the committee to keep them out of the playoff. 

No three-loss team made the playoff outside of Clemson, which received an automatic qualification by winning the ACC. Year to year, the committee's stance may change, but in the inaugural 12-team format, it's clear it valued wins. 

Alabama had a better strength of record (ninth to 15th) and Football Power Index rating (fourth to 13th) than SMU, but in the end, the committee valued 11 wins over nine.

2. The beauty of the playoff is matchups that might otherwise never happen

Rejoice, state of Indiana! Seventh-seeded Notre Dame will host 10th-seeded Indiana on Dec. 20 at 8 p.m. ET. It's a matchup that rarely happens despite the schools being three hours away from each other. 

The two haven't met since 1991. Before that, they hadn't played since 1958. Now, they will play on the biggest stage in the most meaningful game in series history. 

The beauty of the playoff is that these matchups can happen despite what administrators, coaches or fan bases think.

3. Miami, Ole Miss and South Carolina were afterthoughts

The Hurricanes (10-2), Rebels (9-3) and Gamecocks (9-3) were on the outside looking in heading into conference championship weekend and Clemson's win over SMU was the final nail in the coffin. In the end, there wasn't much debate to be had, despite Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin's best efforts on X.

4. SMU's inclusion may have saved the ACC

After Florida State's snub last season in the CFP, the doomsday feeling of SMU potentially being left out of the 12-team field leading up to the selection show was all too familiar. 

In an ultra-competitive college landscape where television deals and perceived power mean everything, SMU being left out could have ushered in another wave of realignment, potentially ending the ACC as we know it. 

Florida State and Clemson are already suing the ACC over the league's withdrawal penalty and grant of rights. Another year of snubs and it could have signaled a mass exodus by the most powerful ACC teams as they realized the conference's standing in the committee's eyes.

5. The Group of 5 has hope

Third-seeded Boise State (12-1) moved up a spot in the rankings after defeating No. 24 UNLV in the Mountain West Championship. The Broncos will face No. 11 SMU or No. 6 Penn State in the Fiesta Bowl. 

There's always conversation on whether or not there's room for the little guy in college football. This year, there was room for it near the top, and that has to calm fears Group of 5 schools had coming into the new 12-team setup.

6. Texas has the most to lose

The Longhorns were beaten by Georgia for the second time this season in the SEC Championship. It dropped Texas to the five seed, meaning the Longhorns will face 12-seed Clemson. 

The Tigers are more than capable of beating Texas, which would be a sour ending to a solid season. In two games, the 'Horns could lose a first-round bye and see their season end.

7. Bowl games may still have a traditional feel

For those who love the pageantry and tradition of college football bowl games, there's still hope. It may not always work out so neatly, but this year, the Rose Bowl could still feature a Big Ten school (Ohio State) against a former Pac-12 school (Oregon). The Sugar Bowl will feature the SEC's Georgia Bulldogs. The Peach Bowl will feature either the ACC (Clemson) or SEC (Texas). Penn State (seven appearances, second all-time) has the opportunity to advance to the Fiesta Bowl. It's not perfect, but it's as close to tradition as this new era can probably be.