Georgia, Michigan top final four field

The defending national champions, two Big Ten powers and an upstart that wasn’t even expected to contend in its conference this season.

Georgia, Michigan, TCU and Ohio State were selected Sunday to play in the College Football Playoff, giving the Big Ten multiple programs in the fourteam field for the first time.

The top-ranked and reigning champion Bulldogs and fourthseeded Buckeyes will meet Dec. 31 at the Peach Bowl in Atlanta. The second-seeded Wolverines and third-ranked Horned Frogs, the lone first-timer in the final four, will play at the Fiesta Bowl in Glendale, Arizona, the same day.

The national championship game is Jan. 9 at Sofi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif..

Committee chairman Boo Corrigan, the athletic director at North Carolina State, said Ohio State’s wins against Penn State and Notre Dame helped push the Buckeyes in over Alabama.

“As we looked at the total body of work, the committee was comfortable with Ohio State State at No. 4 and Alabama at 5,” he said in an interview with ESPN. Corrigan also said the committee did not make any special effort to avoid having a rematch of Ohio State and Michigan in a semifinal.

The rest of the New Year’s Six bowls were also set:

— Tennessee vs. Clemson in the Orange Bowl on Dec. 30.

— Alabama vs. Kansas State in the Sugar Bowl on Dec. 31.

— Tulane vs. USC in the Cotton Bowl on Jan. 2.

— Utah vs. Penn State in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 2.

TCU (12-1) had its first loss of the season in the Big 12 championship Saturday, in overtime to Kansas State. Michigan downed Purdue 43-22 in the Big Ten championship while Clemson routed North Carolina 39-10 for the ACC title.