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CFP selection committee chair explains SMU getting in over Alabama

1918632_10206777287683070_1367905321192383146_nby: Charlie Potter12/08/24Charlie_Potter
Alabama TE CJ Dippre
Alabama TE CJ Dippre (Bryan Terry / USA TODAY Sports)

The College Football Playoff field was revealed on Sunday, and Alabama was the first team left out of the first-ever, 12-team tournament, while SMU made it despite losing on Saturday.

The Mustangs lost their second game of the year, falling to Clemson in the ACC Championship Game, but earned the final at-large berth ahead of the Crimson Tide (9-3, 5-3 SEC). The playoff selection committee chose not to penalize SMU for losing a conference title game.

While Alabama (No. 16) has a better strength of schedule than SMU (60), according to ESPN’s Football Power Index, but the committee elected to keep SMU above the Crimson Tide.

CFP selection committee chair Warde Manuel explained why it was SMU over Alabama.

“We looked at the number of wins that Alabama had against ranked opponents,” Manuel said on ESPN. “We looked at SMU’s schedule, and they were undefeated in conference. Their losses were to ranked teams. But we also looked at Alabama’s loss to unranked teams, and it was quite a debate. 

“I mean, we value strength of schedule. That’s why Alabama, as a three-loss team, is ranked ahead of other teams that have two losses. It is something that we talk about quite a bit. But in the balance of it, in the way SMU played in that game, losing on the last-second field goal, great win by Clemson, great game. We just felt that in this particular case, SMU still had the nod at 10 above Alabama. 

“But it’s no disrespect to Alabama’s strength of schedule. It’s merely looking at the entire body of work for both teams.”

Alabama will now wait to learn which bowl game it will play, which will be announced later today.

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