University of Texas seeded at five, makes 12-team bracket for College Football Playoffs, starting December 21 [Video]

SMU captured the last open spot in the College Football Playoff, edging Alabama to land in a first-of-its-kind, 12-team bracket that placed undefeated Oregon at No. 1.

The selection committee preferred the Mustangs (11-2), losers of a heartbreaker in the Atlantic Coast Conference title game, who had a far less difficult schedule than Alabama (9-3) of the SEC but, ultimately, still one fewer loss.

The expanded bracket marks a new era for college football, though the Alabama-SMU debate made clear that there is no perfect formula for identifying a champion.

“We just felt, in this particular case, SMU had the nod above Alabama,” said Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel, the chair of the selection committee. “But it’s no disrespect to Alabama’s strength of schedule. We looked at the entire body of work for both teams.”

The tournament starts Dec. 20-21 with four first-round games involving teams seeded 5-12. It concludes …