On Sunday afternoon, the selection committee for the inaugural College Football Playoff announced the four playoff teams. 

The University of Alabama, the University of Oregon, Florida State University and The Ohio State University were all selected to the four-team tournament.

 The tournament is the first of its kind after years of a one-game winner-takes-all championship. 

For decades, fans have complained about the system that allows for only two teams to compete for the title. 

The new playoff format was supposed to alleviate this issue by allowing four teams to have a chance, but this season has had many of the same concerns as before.

Two Big 12 schools, Texas Christian University and Baylor University, were both left out of the playoff after spending all year as top teams in the country. 

TCU as recently as last week had been ranked as the No. 3 team in the country but was moved aside for Ohio State after the Buckeyes’ 59-0 thrashing of No. 17 Wisconsin University on Saturday. 

TCU had a dominant day on Saturday as well, dismantling a weak Iowa State squad 55-3.

Ohio State faced adversity all season after losing their starting quarterback Braxton Miller to a season-ending injury before their first game. 

The Buckeyes lost an early September game to Virginia Tech that looked to take them out of the national title picture. 

The team’s troubles increased even more when it lost quarterback J.T. Barret, who had been playing extremely well in relief of Miller, in early December.

With its third-string quarterback Cardale Jones at the helm, the squad has overcome the odds to make the College Football Playoff.

Keeping TCU and Baylor out of the tournament was not an easy decision for the committee to make. 

Both teams had only one loss on the season, as Baylor lost an early season game to West Virginia and TCU lost a nail biter by three points to Baylor.

TCU and Baylor will still play in big-time bowl games as TCU will square off against No. 9 Ole Miss in the Chick-fil-A Bowl, and Baylor will take on No. 8 Michigan State in the Cotton Bowl.

Even though Ohio State was able to slip into the field of four, they will face a tough task with a matchup against Alabama in the Allstate Sugar Bowl. 

Alabama has been the No. 1 team in the nation for the last few weeks and come into the matchup favored by 9.5 points. 

The game marks the 68th straight-game that Alabama has been favored in its contests. 

Alabama will look to continue its dominance of the college football landscape, as it has won three of the last five national championships.

The other semifinal features No. 2 Oregon vs. No. 3 Florida State in the Rose Bowl. 

Florida State comes into the game as an 8.5 point underdog even though it is the only undefeated team in college football. 

Florida State will took to defend its national title with last year’s Heisman Trophy winner, quarterback Jameis Winston. 

The game between FSU and Oregon will feature arguably the best two college quarterbacks in Winston and Oregon’s Marcus Mariota.

Mariota was named a finalist for the Heisman Trophy on Monday.

Both semifinal matchups will take place on New Year’s Day, when a spot for a national title game appearance will be on the line. 

The winners of OSU vs. Alabama and FSU vs. Oregon will play on Jan. 12, 2015 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX.