Alabama’s absence from the College Football Playoff is largely due to its own three losses, particularly the unexpected defeats at Vanderbilt and Oklahoma, which outweighed its tough SEC schedule.
The University of Alabama football program’s failure to secure a spot in the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff can be attributed to its own shortcomings, specifically its three losses throughout the season. Despite competing in the highly challenging Southeastern Conference, Alabama’s performance was ultimately marred by its defeats. While the 24-17 loss to Tennessee on the road is somewhat understandable, the Crimson Tide’s losses to Vanderbilt and Oklahoma are more difficult to justify.
The loss to Vanderbilt, in particular, was unexpected, given the Commodores’ reputation as a less formidable opponent. However, Vanderbilt proved to be a bowl-worthy team, and Alabama’s loss to them was a significant setback. The 24-3 loss to Oklahoma was another disappointing performance that ultimately contributed to Alabama’s exclusion from the playoff.
The inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff format has exposed several flaws and concerns that require urgent attention and resolution.A combination of unfortunate events led to Alabama being left out of the playoff. Specifically, SMU’s loss to Clemson in the ACC Championship Game, despite a respectable performance, surprisingly propelled them into the playoff, ultimately edging out Alabama.
College Football Playoff chair Warde Manuel explained the reasoning behind Alabama’s exclusion, citing the committee’s emphasis on strength of schedule. However, the narrow margin between Alabama and SMU has raised concerns about the playoff process.The College Football Playoff selection committee’s decision to exclude Alabama in favor of SMU has raised eyebrows. Despite Alabama being ranked higher in various polls, including the AP Top 25 and coaches’ poll, the committee chose SMU. This decision has sparked concerns that the committee prioritized a compelling narrative over selecting the better team. In fact, if Alabama and SMU were to face off on a neutral site, Alabama would likely be favored to win.
