Above Image Credit: Texas Football

The College Football Playoff (CFP) Committee has selected SMU as one of the 12 teams that will compete in the all-new, 12-team CFP playoff format. Needless to say, some fans, specifically Alabama fans, expressed their unhappiness.

SMU (Southern Methodist University) ranked #11 in the 12-team bracket. They and Alabama were the only choices left to take this at-large spot, and the committee gave it to the Mustangs despite losing the ACC championship to Clemson.

Now, they will prepare themselves to face Drew Allar and #6 Penn State for the first time since 1978. This game marks their third-ever meeting.

The decision sparked many questions and excluded a few big-name teams. However, the Alabama Crimson Tide fan base feels the sting of the snub the most.

As an Alabama fan for over 15 years, I never thought they would still remain in the playoff picture at this point. I expected the worst, so this decision doesn’t surprise me.

Honestly, I have to agree with the committee on this one. I have watched Alabama throughout this season and experienced the highs and lows. Here are my reasons why they weren’t chosen for the CFP:

Alabama Had More Key Losses Than Wins

Three of Alabama’s humiliating losses were against SEC teams. However, these games also played an important role in determining the CFP. Watching them lose to Vanderbilt, Tennessee, and Oklahoma still feels unreal to me.

I believe an unmotivated Bama defense, offensive mistakes, and the strength of their opponents’ offenses caused those three losses.

First, they had defeated Vanderbilt for the last 40 years until this season. That pick six with almost eight minutes left in the first quarter signaled Bama’s downfall. They managed to play catchup since that mistake, but when they fumbled the ball with less than 10 minutes left of the fourth quarter, all hope was lost.

Facing Tennessee was another story. The first half was filled with crucial mistakes on both sides. Things built up in the second half. With two minutes left in the game, Tennessee lead 21-17, and Alabama had an opportunity to take the lead, but Jalen Milroe’s pass was intercepted with 1:24 left on the clock. Tennessee’s final touchdown sealed their win against the Crimson Tide.

In my opinion, the embarrassing 24-3 loss to Oklahoma was what did them in. Their defense was absent for most of the game. They couldn’t even deliver once Oklahoma picked up the pace in the second half. The Crimson Tide, in general, didn’t show up as the top-notch team fans like me always knew. This loss severely affected their CFP chances, dropping them out of playoff contention and conversation.

What About Their Schedules?

Since people have been discussing schedules for next season, let’s look into that too.

Alabama’s 2024 schedule featured four non-conference teams, and they easily dominated those opponents. The rest of the schedule matched them against SEC teams, with a few – including South Carolina and 2024 SEC champion Georgia-giving the Crimson Tide a run for their money.

SMU faced four non-conference opponents in the first four weeks of the season. One of them was BYU, who beat them 18-15 in Week 3. However, they started getting everyone’s attention when they defeated TCU, 66-42. It was nothing but ACC teams from there, and they’ve beaten every one of them until they lost at the ACC championship against Clemson.

It looks like SMU had it easy from that perspective. Only a few ACC teams gave them a fight. The championship loss showed they can stand up to tough teams like Clemson, but they still wouldn’t stand a chance. Had SMU faced them or the likes of Miami and Duke earlier in the season, they wouldn’t have their moment in the CFP spotlight.

What’s a college football season without challenges, though? If both teams had more non-conference games than usual, they’re simply taking the easy way to the CFP playoff.

My Final Words to SMU

If I had some final words for SMU, it would be this:

“Good luck with your first endeavor in the college football playoff. Soon you’ll realize this will be unlike any game you have ever played. You are one of the few underdogs in this playoff, so you’re probably not the likely favorites to win it all. You are strong, but other teams want to prove they are stronger than you. After this experience, you will know exactly how much and what it takes for you to be chosen for such a fight.

Good luck against Penn State. You’re going to need it.”