"The Alliance: Bringing Clarity to College Football's Playoff Picture"

The Alliance, a verbal agreement between the ACC, Big Ten, and Pac-12 conferences, prevented the expansion of the College Football Playoff (CFP) this year, resulting in a muddled playoff picture. The delay in approving an expanded playoff allowed only four teams to compete instead of twelve. The SEC's Alabama upset Georgia in the SEC championship, adding to the difficulty of selecting the four playoff participants. The failure of the Alliance and the delay in playoff expansion have led to frustration and controversy in college football.