It’s that time of year again when the College Football Playoff Committee goes into seclusion and determines the field for this year’s playoff. This was supposed to be the year that controversies went out the window and the little guy had a chance as the playoff field expanded to twelve teams. As fortune would have it though, one of the blue bloods of college football is throwing the flag and calling foul. Alabama has been left out of the College Football Playoff for the 2024-2025 season.
Let the crying begin. Since its inception in 2014, Alabama has made the CFP eight out of ten times. The only two years Alabama was left out was 2019 and 2022. So for perspective’s sake, Alabama is almost always included. So with the field expanding to 12 teams this year there was no way Alabama would miss out right? Wrong. Alabama’s three losses were enough for the committee to exclude them from the field. This has Alabama fans in an uproar, but do they have a case?
The College Football Playoff Committee got this one right. Let’s lay out the facts. There is only one three loss team in this year’s playoff, ACC champion Clemson. Also with three losses, Alabama advocates like former head coach Nick Saban are complaining that strength of schedule doesn’t matter anymore. They say Alabama should stop scheduling difficult out of conference games, believing the committee didn’t take those games into account. There’s just one problem with that. Alabama’s out of conference schedule was against inferior competition as well.
Alabama’s two most difficult out of conference games were against USF and Wisconsin. Neither team has been ranked this year and both finished with poor records (USF 6-6, Wisconsin 5-7). Alabama’s signature win was a big one for sure as they beat then number two Georgia. Alabama also had wins against 15th ranked LSU and a Missouri team ranked 21st at the time. All of Alabama’s losses came in its own conference. They lost to a Tennessee team ranked below them at number 11 and also lost to two unranked teams: newcomer Oklahoma and perennial SEC bottom feeder Vanderbilt. Both of those teams finished 6-6 and Alabama was ranked number one overall at the time they lost to an unranked Vandy. Alabama can complain about their out of conference schedule all they want, but when you can’t even get past unranked teams in your own conference it becomes a moot point.
Here is a little perspective. Alabama destroyed a Missouri team 34-0 that was ranked 21st at the time. Missouri beat both Oklahoma and Vanderbilt, two teams Alabama lost to. In fact, Alabama only put up three points on Oklahoma and lost by three touchdowns. Missouri beat Oklahoma 30-23. Missouri came into the season ranked 11th with its own CFP aspirations. Missouri also beat out of conference Boston College who was ranked at the time. Alabama did not play a ranked out of conference team this year. Does Missouri belong in the playoff? Absolutely not. Neither does Alabama. In fact, one could argue that two loss Miami has a better case to be included than does Alabama.
It’s quite simple for Alabama. As their fans have gloated over the college football world the last ten years, if you have a problem with it then don’t lose games you shouldn’t lose. This snub has nothing to do with Alabama’s out of conference games and everything to do with their inability to beat inferior teams in their own conference this year.
Complain about SMU’s schedule all you want Alabama. Their only two losses came to BYU who finished ranked 17th and Clemson, who is in the playoff as the ACC champion. Your three losses included two losses to .500 teams in your own conference. The formula is easy. Win and you’re in. Alabama didn’t win enough. The only people complaining about it are the Alabama fans who threw the same shade at other fan bases in years past who thought their teams were deserving when they weren’t. Maybe you can go meet Florida State’s fans at the bar and talk about last year while watching three of your SEC opponents play this year. They know exactly how you feel.
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