Getting whipped by a downtrodden Oklahoma squad came back to haunt Alabama. So did a historic loss to Vanderbilt.
That’s because the Crimson Tide (9-3) were passed over for the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff when the selections were announced on Sunday.
Alabama appeared in good shape to make the playoffs until visiting the Sooners and losing 24-3 on Nov. 23. Oklahoma finished the regular season with a 6-6 mark.
SMU (11-2) earned the final at-large spot despite losing to Clemson 34-31 in the Atlantic Coast Conference title game on Saturday night.
“I think it’s the right decision,” Mustangs coach Rhett Lashlee told CBS Sports said. “… We didn’t ever have a bad loss.”
Selection committee chairman Warde Manuel said it was a tough choice to take the Mustangs over the Crimson Tide.
“We looked at the number of wins Alabama had against ranked opponents,” Manuel, the Michigan athletic director, told ESPN. “We looked at SMU’s schedule and they were undefeated in conference. Their losses were to ranked teams.
“We also looked at Alabama’s losses to unranked teams. It was quite a debate. We value strength of schedule and that’s why Alabama as a three-loss team is ranked ahead of teams that have two losses.”
SMU’s loss to then-No. 17 Clemson came on a last-second field goal in Saturday night’s Atlantic Coast Conference title game. The Mustangs also lost 18-15 at BYU on Sept. 6. SMU beat then-No. 22 Louisville on the road and then-No. 18 Pitt in Dallas.
“Losing on a last-second field goal … we felt SMU still had the nod over Alabama,” Manuel said of the Mustangs’ loss to Clemson. “… It’s just looking at the entire body of work over both teams.”
Alabama’s other two losses included the shocking 40-35 stumble at Vanderbilt on Oct. 5 that marked the Commodores’ first-ever win over a No. 1-ranked team. The Crimson Tide also lost 24-17 to then-No. 11 Tennessee on Oct. 19.
The Crimson Tide posted three ranked victories, beating then-No. 2 Georgia, then-No. 21 Missouri and then-No. 15 LSU.
Alabama athletic director Greg Byrne said being passed over will lead to him assess his nonconference scheduling philosophy.
“We have said that we would need to see how strength of schedule would be evaluated by the CFP,” Byrne wrote on social media. “With this outcome, we will need to assess how many (Power 4) nonconference games make sense in the future to put us in the best position to participate in the CFP. That is not good for college football.”
Alabama will face Michigan in the ReliaQuest Bowl in Tampa on Dec. 31. It is a rematch from last season when the Wolverines defeated the Crimson Tide 27-20 in the College Football Playoff semifinal game at the Rose Bowl.
The second team out was No. 13 Miami (10-2), which saw its chances plummet by losing two of its last three regular-season games.
The Hurricanes, who started 9-0, lost 28-23 to host Georgia Tech on Nov. 9 and completed the regular season with a 42-38 road loss against Syracuse.
Miami didn’t play a Top 25 team this season.
Instead of navigating the playoff field, Miami will face No. 18 Iowa State in the Pop-Tarts Bowl in Orlando on Dec. 28.
“Everyone that doesn’t get in feels disappointment,” Miami coach Mario Cristobal said of being passed over. “We will have the onus of just doing better. Go forward and have the opportunity to get better. …
“We have a ton to play for and we’ll thankful for the opportunity.”
SMU plays No. 6 Penn State in its first-round playoff game on Nov. 21.
“We’re excited about the challenge and the opportunity to prove that the committee made the right decision,” Lashlee said.
