SMU over Alabama: College Football Playoff chair explains final bracket

SMU is in, and Alabama is out, of the first 12-team College Football Playoff, and now the selection committee chairman explains why the Mustangs stayed ahead of the Crimson Tide.

Why did SMU get in the College Football Playoff while Alabama missed out? / Will McLelland-Imagn Images

For the second straight year, Alabama was at the forefront of some controversy around the last place in the College Football Playoff. Only this time, the Crimson Tide was out, not in.

One year after jumping undefeated ACC champion Florida State for the final playoff bid, Alabama was the one left out, in favor of two-loss ACC runner-up SMU.

College Football Playoff selection committee chairman Warde Manuel said that it was the Tide’s losses to unranked opponents that put SMU over the edge and was the decisive factor.

“We looked at the number of wins Alabama had against ranked opponents,” he said.

“We looked at SMU’s schedule and they were undefeated in conference. Their losses were to ranked teams. But we also looked at Alabama’s losses to unranked teams. And it was quite a debate.”

College Football Playoff Selection Committee Chair Warde Manuel explains the decision to include SMU over Alabama in the final rankings. pic.twitter.com/dcvI9rw9MZ

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Quality of schedule remains an important metric to the committee, Manuel added.

“We value strength of schedule,” he said.

“That’s why Alabama as a three-loss team is ranked ahead of other teams that have two losses. It’s something that we talked about quite a bit. But in the balance of it, the way SMU played in that game, losing on a last-second field goal...”

That game being the ACC Championship Game, where SMU tied Clemson with less than a minute left after mounting a furious comeback, but ultimately losing as the Tigers kicked a field goal as time expired.

“We just felt that in this particular case, SMU still had the nod at 10 above Alabama,” Manuel said.

“And that’s no disrespect to Alabama’s strength of schedule. It’s merely looking at the entire body of work for both teams.”

That was better than what Alabama had to offer in the eyes of the selection committee, which warranted the last place in the bracket ahead of the Crimson Tide.

With that, Kalen DeBoer awaits his bowl assignment to complete his first season.

And it will be the Mustangs who look ahead to making a run at the national championship.

More ... Your look at the complete College Football Playoff bracket

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