Late-Season Chaos Not Enough to Get Alabama in College Football Playoff

For just the second time in nine years, Alabama is out of the CFP.

After Alabama picked up its second loss of the season at LSU on Nov. 5, there were several things that had to happen for the Crimson Tide to even be considered for a playoff spot. 

Basically all of them did happen, including USC and TCU losing in their respective conference championship games over the weekend. But despite the chaos around college football over the last few weeks, the Alabama Crimson Tide will not be in this year's College Football Playoff. 

Georgia (13-0), Michigan (13-0), TCU (12-1) and Ohio State (11-1) are the four teams in this year's playoff. It is the first playoff appearance for the Horned Frogs. The Bulldogs and Wolverines are making their second straight appearance and third overall for Georgia. This will be the fifth trip to the CFP for Ohio State. 

Alabama is the first team outside of the playoff. The Crimson Tide came in at No. 5 in the committee's final rankings of the season, meaning the Crimson Tide will play Big 12 Champion Kansas State in the Sugar Bowl on New Year's Eve as the highest-ranked SEC team not in the playoff. (Georgia, the SEC Champion, is the No. 1 seed in the CFP and will play in the Peach Bowl.)

Nick Saban made his rounds on national television Saturday night, pitching the Crimson Tide's case for the CFP. He talked about how Alabama finished the season strong, other teams showed vulnerability and Alabama's two losses came by a combined four points on the road. But it wasn't enough to convince the committee. 

"We're obviously disappointed," Saban told ESPN Sunday afternoon. "We wanted to see our team have an opportunity to play and get in the playoffs. But we’re going to get an opportunity to play someone, somewhere in a good game, and that’s going to be an opportunity for our players to create value for themselves and show what kind of team we really have.”

Even with the overtime loss to Kansas State in the Big 12 Championship game Saturday, TCU's overall body of work with just one loss was more impressive to the committee. Ohio State lost to Michigan at home by 22 points in its regular season finale, but that was also the Buckeyes' lone loss. Still no two-loss team has ever made the College Football Playoff. 

Committee chairman Boo Corrigan cited Ohio State's big wins over Penn State and Notre Dame as better than Alabama's over Texas and Mississippi State. 

"Keep in mind, that Michigan game did get away from them [Ohio State], but it was a one-score game early in the fourth quarter, and as we looked at the total body of work that we had, the committee was comfortable with Ohio State at No. 4 and Alabama at No. 5," Corrigan said during the selection show Sunday morning on ESPN. 

It is only the second time in the nine years of the CFP that Alabama was left out. The Crimson Tide has seven appearances with three national championships in 2015, 2017 and 2020. Last season, Alabama lost to Georgia in the CFP title game in Indianapolis. 

Final CFP Rankings

1. Georgia (13-0)

2. Michigan (13-0)

3. TCU (12-1)

4. Ohio State (11-1)

5. Alabama (10-2)

6. Tennessee (10-2)

7. Clemson (11-2)

8. Utah (10-3)

9. Kansas State (10-3)

10. USC (11-2)

11. Penn State (10-2)

12. Washington (10-2)

13. Florida State (9-3)

14. Oregon State (9-3)

15. Oregon (9-3)

16. Tulane (11-2)

17. LSU (9-4)

18. UCLA (9-3)

19. South Carolina (8-4)

20. Texas (8-4)

21. Notre Dame (8-4)

22. Mississippi State (8-4)

23. NC State (8-4)

24. Troy (11-2)

25. UTSA (11-2)

See also:

Alabama Ranked No. 5 in Final Regular Season AP and Coaches Poll

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