The College Football Playoff committee has selected SMU for the last at-large spot in this year’s tournament, evaluating the Mustangs’ victories in relation to Alabama’s strength of schedule. This season marks a significant expansion of the bracket from four to twelve teams, yet it has not been without its share of controversies.
SMU, boasting an 11-2 record, demonstrated its competitiveness against established teams, narrowly losing to Clemson 34-31 due to a last-minute 56-yard field goal in the ACC championship game. Throughout the regular season, their only defeat came in a close matchup at home against BYU, who secured a last-minute field goal in that game. Following this setback, Kevin Jennings was named the starting quarterback, leading the team to victory in their remaining regular-season contests. After their close loss to Clemson, head coach Rhett Lashlee expressed his strong belief in the team’s capabilities. “It would be criminal if we’re not in,” he remarked passionately.
SMU has been seeded 11th and is scheduled to face No. 6 seed Penn State in the tournament’s first round. Meanwhile, Alabama, with a record of 9-3, experienced a mixed season under coach Kalen DeBoer. Despite securing significant wins against teams like Georgia and South Carolina, they suffered unexpected losses to Vanderbilt, Tennessee, and Oklahoma. A particularly troubling defeat was a 24-3 loss to the Sooners, during which Oklahoma dominated the game, accumulating 250 rushing yards, even while dealing with several key injuries. Oklahoma’s performance saw them finish the regular season with a 6-6 record.
More debate arose before the announcement when Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark voiced his dissent regarding the concept of any Group of Five team receiving a bye over a champion from a Power Four conference. He attributed this viewpoint to the strength of schedule. However, Boise State managed to secure a No. 3 seed, surpassing Big 12 champion Arizona State, which was placed fourth. “I don’t want to delve too much into our positioning versus other conferences,” Yormark commented prior to the Big 12 title game. “However, I firmly believe that no comparison should be made between us and any G5 conference champion. I stand by that position.”
Several teams that performed admirably this season were not included in the playoff field. The final AP poll released indicated that Alabama ranked at No. 11, with South Carolina at 14, Miami at 15, and Ole Miss at 16. Miami started the season strong but faltered in the latter part of the season. Both Alabama and Ole Miss recorded three losses within the SEC, along with South Carolina.
