Sometimes, all that matters is getting in.

Then, anything can happen.

The postseason is unique in that way, no matter the sport. It can have a cleansing effect, providing a clean slate.

Maybe that’s what is happening with Alabama. I stand by my column the weekend the College Football Playoff pairings were announced, that Notre Dame deserved a spot over the Crimson Tide, that how a team finishes should matter. Alabama hadn’t been very good to close the regular season. It nearly lost to mediocre SEC opponents South Carolina, LSU and Auburn, fell to Oklahoma and was crushed by Georgia in the SEC championship game.

Insurance affordability is becoming a growing concern for Oklahoma families as premiums rise across health, homeowners and auto coverage, with little action from Congress to slow the increases.

Lawmakers and policy advocates say insurance costs are rising faster than many households can afford, forcing families to choose between keeping coverage, accepting higher deductibles or dropping insurance altogether.

Health insurance premiums remain a particular concern as Oklahoma continues to rank near the bottom nationally for overall health outcomes, increasing the stakes for families who rely on consistent coverage.

Frustration with federal inaction

During recent discussions on Your Vote Counts, state leaders expressed frustration that Congress left Washington for the holiday recess without advancing legislation aimed at stabilizing insurance markets or easing premium increases.

Federal officials had previously discussed proposals to offset rising costs, including direct payments to consumers, but no agreement was reached before the recess.

Rising costs across all coverage types

Rising costs are not limited to health coverage. Homeowners and auto insurance premiums have also climbed sharply, driven by inflation, higher repair costs and an increase in insurance claims nationwide.

Some lawmakers fear the cumulative impact could push more Oklahomans out of the insurance market entirely, particularly younger adults who may choose to go without coverage.

Watch part 2 of Your Vote Counts in the player below

• Miami upset Texas A&M in a defensive battle, securing a significant win for the ACC in the College Football Playoff.
• Alabama overcame a 17-point deficit to defeat Oklahoma, setting up a Rose Bowl matchup against No. 1 Indiana.
• Oregon and Mississippi easily defeated their Group of Five opponents to advance to the quarterfinals.

No. 9 Alabama finally solved Brent Venables and No. 8 Oklahoma, No. 10 Miami won a defensive slugfest at No. 7 Texas A&M and No. 5 Oregon and No. 6 Mississippi had no trouble against the Group of Five to round out the opening round of the College Football Playoff.

While the Crimson Tide took the all-SEC matchup, then win by the Hurricanes in College Station is a feather in the cap for the ACC after the conference was nearly left out of the tournament entirely. In the end, Miami did what Notre Dame could not and beat the Aggies — and on the road, no less.

The two upsets in the opening round came after all four favorites held serve to open last year’s 12-team playoff debut.

As a gift for beating the Sooners, the Crimson Tide will face off in the Rose Bowl against No. 1 Indiana. Over in the Cotton Bowl, No. 2 Ohio State will take on Miami. The Sugar Bowl will feature another SEC rematch with the Rebels taking on No. 3 Georgia, while No. 4 Texas Tech will face Oregon in the Orange Bowl.

Before heading to the quarterfinals, let’s break down why the ACC and Oklahoma lead the biggest winners and losers from the opening round:

Winners

The ACC

We touched on why this win means so much to the ACC: Duke won the conference with five losses and James Madison cruised to the Sun Belt title after Miami remained behind Notre Dame in the penultimate playoff rankings. There was a strong possibility the conference would not have a single team in the 12-team bracket. Still, the Hurricanes were a late and controversial addition to the field despite topping the Irish during the regular season. While not changing the fact the ACC was the weakest of the Power Four leagues during the regular season, to have Miami become the first team to beat A&M in College Station this year should be a huge confidence booster for the conference.

Miami

Miami ran for 175 yards on 6.3 yards per carry and was the tougher and more physical team in its 10-3 rock fight against A&M. Nearly every inch of the yardage belonged to running back Mark Fletcher Jr., who had 172 yards on 17 carries, including a 56-yard scamper during a fourth-quarter touchdown drive that broke a 3-3 tie. Defensively, the Hurricanes gave up 4.3 yards per play and delivered three key takeaways, including an interception in the end zone with 24 seconds left to seal the win. There’s still plenty to work on: Miami’s passing game sputtered, though Carson Beck did avoid any giveaways, and the kicking game made just one of four field goals. That won’t cut it against the Buckeyes.

Kalen DeBoer

It’s extremely easy to think about how the Alabama fan base would’ve turned on DeBoer had the Tide not tied for the largest comeback in playoff history by digging out of a 17-0 deficit in the second quarter. Another loss to Oklahoma might’ve even been enough to convince DeBoer to at least take a look at the Michigan opening, given the chance for a reboot in the Big Ten. But after missing the playoff entirely last year, DeBoer and Alabama nailed down a much-needed postseason win and can begin evaluating the nation’s only unbeaten team in the Hoosiers.

Oregon and Mississippi

Neither team broke a sweat, unless you count the roughly quarter-long span against Tulane where the Rebels treaded water after jumping out to an early lead. The Rebels’ owned the second half of a 41-10 win against the Green Wave while Oregon was all over James Madison from the start of a 51-34 romp. As expected, the feel-good underdog stories the Green Wave and Dukes brought to the table didn’t quite translate when lined up across from two of the most talented teams in the Power Four. For the first time in the 12-team era, we’ll see how playing a Group of Five team in the opening round prepares the winner for a top-four opponent in the quarterfinals.

Pete Golding

So far, so good for the new Rebels coach. Making his debut in the opening round against Tulane, Golding pushed the right buttons out of the gate to help Ole Miss spring out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter. While things stagnated through the first half, with Ole Miss ahead 17-3, halftime adjustments sparked a 27-0 run coming out of the break to put the Green Wave away. A bigger test awaits in New Orleans.

Losers