Alabama left shellshocked after stunning College Football Playoff bracket is announced
The Alabama Crimson Tide won't be participating in the College Football Playoff in head coach Kalen DeBoer's first season with the program. While the expanded 12-team format looked like it could offer the Crimson Tide reprieve from its three losses, the committee ultimately kept them out from competing for a National Championship. Instead, Clemson, SMU, […]
The Alabama Crimson Tide won't be participating in the College Football Playoff in head coach Kalen DeBoer's first season with the program. While the expanded 12-team format looked like it could offer the Crimson Tide reprieve from its three losses, the committee ultimately kept them out from competing for a National Championship.
Instead, Clemson, SMU, and Indiana filled out the last three Playoff spots. Ultimately, bad losses to Vanderbilt and Oklahoma doomed DeBoer and the Tide.
The loss to Vanderbilt was a stunner at the moment, but it is more understandable in hindsight given what Diego Pavia and the Commodores became. Losing three games, though, including a 24-3 beatdown to a bad Oklahoma team, proved unforgivable.
The on-set cast of ESPN discussed how Alabama's win against Georgia proved to be a lone bright spot of the season. Ultimately, that electric second-half comeback that catapulted Alabama to No. 1 was just a moment. Ensuing losses to Vandy, Tennessee, and the Sooners were more impactful on their outlook.
Quite frankly, I'm surprised the committee got this aspect right.
The losses matter as much as the wins do. While there's hand-wringing over who Indiana and Penn State beat on their way to the Playoff, they also didn't lose as favorites to Vandy and Oklahoma. Losing to Ohio State is not the same.
Instead, CBS Sports has Alabama projected to face Illinois in the Citrus Bowl. The Citrus Bowl is played in Orlando, Florida, on December 31.
Considering how poorly Alabama was coached and played when it mattered, outside of one half against Georgia and a complete-game beatdown of LSU, this is more fitting for DeBoer's first-year squat.
