Washington snags No. 4 seed and a matchup with top-ranked Alabama; Clemson will face Ohio State in the other semifinal.

Washington grabs 4th spot over Nittany Lions

Conference championships matter. Head-to-head matters. Strength of schedule matters. Every game counts, though some seem to count more than others and good luck figuring out which ones count most.

This and more is what the College Football Playoff selection committee sorts through to pick the four best teams in the country.

If consistency, certainty and clear-cut criteria are what you crave, this may not be the sport for you. Yes, the goal posts move from season to season. That may be the way it is for awhile — at least until the playoff grows up.

“Every year is going to be different,” CFP executive director Bill Hancock said. “Football seasons are like snowflakes, they’re all different. Next year we’ll be standing here talking about some other way it fell out. And that’s great.”

It worked out great Sunday for Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State and Washington. Not so great if you root for Penn State.

No. 1 Alabama (13-0) will face No. 4 Washington (12-1) in one semifinal and secondseeded Clemson (12-1) meets third-seeded Ohio State (111) in the other on Dec. 31.

The committee stayed with the same top four it picked going into championship weekend, leaving out No. 5 Penn State (11-2) even though the Nittany Lions won the Big Ten title game and beat Ohio State.

Many questioned why Ohio State deserved a spot, especially over Penn State. Selection committee chairman Kirby Hocutt made it clear that the 12-person committee did not.

Ohio State’s three victories against top-10 teams (No. 7 Oklahoma, No. 8 Wisconsin and No. 6 Michigan) and only one loss, by three at Penn State, won the day over the Nittany Lions. Penn State lost to Pitt and Michigan (by 39) before closing the season with nine straight victories.

Pac-12 champion Washington’s only loss was to 10th-ranked Southern California and its nonconference schedule featured FCS Portland State, Rutgers and Idaho. Penn State played Pitt, Temple and Kent State out of conference.

“I think because of Washington’s strength of schedule, their margin for error was very slim,” Hocutt said. “I think our discussions and our decision would have been much easier if Washington would have had a stronger strength of schedule this college football season.”

Butkus Award: Alabama linebacker Reuben Foster has won the honor as the nation’s top linebacker. Dick Butkus presented the bronze trophy to Foster. Foster leads the top-ranked Tide with 94 tackles.