College Football Playoff: Preston Stone Injury Did Not Factor Into New Years Six Decision

For the majority of the 2023 season, SMU quarterback Preston Stone played like one of the best in the Group of Five, with an AAC-leading 9.3 yards per completion. However, a broken leg in SMU's final regular season game against Navy ended his year. 

His team managed to persevere without him though, winning the AAC title game behind backup quarterback Kevin Jennings and a strong defensive performance the following week.

Despite SMU's 11-2 season and conference championship win over Tulane (who, until said title game, was the highest ranked G5 team), SMU were not selected for the G5's bid in the New Years Six. That went to undefeated CUSA champion Liberty.

Part of Sunday's conversation amongst college football fans in regards to that announcement centered around whether or not Stone's injury factored into the College Football Playoff committee's decision. After all, the committee did explicitly say that a similar injury to Jordan Travis changed their perception of the undefeated ACC champion Florida State, who were left out of the top four. 

CFP selection committee chair Boo Corrigan was explicitly asked about that by The Athletic's Chris Vannini on Sunday. 

Q. Boo, similar to Florida State, SMU lost its starting quarterback late in the season. Did that play any factor in the decision to have Liberty ahead of SMU? 

CORRIGAN: "No, it didn't. As we were looking at it, Liberty 5-0 against teams .500 or above, put up 700 plus yards against New Mexico State, a team that a week before went down and held Auburn to 10 points. Again, each one of these is held in isolation in looking at it, and SMU goes from unranked to ranked. A really good win against Tulane, but at the end of the day, the committee voted for Liberty at 23 and SMU at 24."

The Mustangs missing the New Years Six means the AAC's streak of reaching the New Years Six ends at six years. The last non-AAC team to reach the New Years Six was Western Michigan out of the MAC, who lost the Cotton Bowl to Wisconsin.

SMU are set to face Boston College in the Wasabi Fenway Bowl later this month. Liberty will face the Oregon Ducks in the Fiesta Bowl on New Year's Day.