There’s plenty of truth in the belief that the College Football Playoff has been dominated by four teams – Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State and Oklahoma. The quartet combined for 20 of the possible 28 spots in the field since the system started in the 2014 season.
However, there has always been space for newcomers hoping to make the field for the first time.
Last year was the first of the seven playoffs in which the field was entirely made up of previous participants as Notre Dame made the field for the second time and was joined by the Crimson Tide, Tigers and Buckeyes.