does the committee regret leaving out Notre Dame and keeping in Alabama.
Should the CFP Committee have left out Alabama just like they did Notre Dame? originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
As we head into the first round of the college football playoffs, many are questioning whether the committee made the right call by leaving Notre Dame out while keeping Alabama in, even though Alabama has three losses. The College Football Playoff committee excluded Notre Dame mainly because of their early loss to Miami. However, Alabama also lost their season opener against Florida State but still earned a playoff spot. So, should the committee have treated Alabama the same way they treated Notre Dame and left them out?
Both teams faced tough opponents and suffered losses in their season openers. Alabama was defeated by Florida State 31-17 in a surprising upset, where Florida State’s strong rushing attack, led by transfer quarterback Tommy Castellanos, controlled the game. This loss ended Alabama’s long streak of winning season openers and raised questions about their chances for the season.
At almost the same time, Miami narrowly beat Notre Dame 27-24 with a late game-winning field goal. Miami’s defense made key stops to secure the win, while Notre Dame’s freshman quarterback CJ Carr had a tough debut. This loss played a big role in Notre Dame missing the playoffs.
If the committee punished Notre Dame for losing to Miami, then shouldn’t Alabama face the same consequences for losing to Florida State? The committee says head-to-head matchups matter when it comes to selection. It doesn’t seem fair to punish one team and not the other for similar early setbacks. Even though Alabama beat Georgia, it’s like their loss to Florida State never really counted because their seeding didn’t change much after the SEC championship loss. Committee chair Hunter Yurachek even mentioned Alabama’s loss as a factor in their rankings, yet many sports media outlets barely talked about it while focusing heavily on Notre Dame’s loss.
One reason Alabama remains favored is their much tougher schedule. Playing in the SEC, Alabama faces some of the best teams in college football like Georgia, LSU, Oklahoma, and Texas A&M. Notre Dame’s schedule, while respectable, is generally seen as less difficult, which helps explain Alabama’s higher ranking despite their loss.
Legends like Cam Newton who played in the SEC at Auburn have stated that the SEC is on another level compared to other conferences, which is why teams in the SEC get more attention.
Still, fairness matters. If Alabama is allowed to stay in the playoff despite losing their opener, then Notre Dame should not be excluded simply because of a similar loss. Both teams had early setbacks, and both deserve equal consideration based on their full season performance.
In the end, Alabama’s loss to Florida State was just as important as Notre Dame’s loss to Miami. The CFP committee should either punish or forgive both teams equally to keep the playoff system fair and consistent.
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