Kalen Deboer throws a subtle jab at Notre Dame when asked what Alabama would have done if it missed the College Football Playoff
Kalen DeBoer played it off, but you could tell by his tone that he wasn’t a fan of Notre Dame’s latest move.
The Alabama Crimson Tide created quite a stir on Selection Sunday, sitting pretty at ninth overall and not moving a spot despite the head-shaking performance against the Georgia Bulldogs. The committee didn’t punish Alabama for the game, as the Crimson Tide can say what no other team in the sport can this season: The team beat Georgia at the Bulldogs’ home stadium.
Even still, that rubbed the Notre Dame Fighting Irish the wrong way. So much so that Notre Dame declined to play in a bowl game, creating an even bigger stir.
Kalen DeBoer says Alabama never considered skipping Bowl Game
“No, we hadn’t. We hadn’t ever had that conversation, no,” said DeBoer during his CFP selection call via Bama Central on YouTube when asked if his team discussed skipping a bowl game.
Look, I’ll be the first to admit that meaningless bowl games don’t move the needle for me.
But when you decline a bid to a bowl after missing the College Football Playoff, that had major “you can’t fire me, I quit” vibes to it. To see if I was the only one thinking this way, I spoke with Josh Taylor, who contributes to A to Z Sports Alabama, to hear his opinion.
“Alabama absolutely should’ve made the playoff over Notre Dame, and it only has itself to blame. Notre Dame had a chance to prove it belonged by beating one of the two teams in the CFB Playoff that it played, and it lost both games. Turning down a bowl game after not making the playoff is a petty move towards the committee and, honestly, a shame for a brand like Notre Dame.
“It could’ve easily faced a top team that also just missed the playoff, and used it as an example of the committee getting it wrong, while finishing the season strong for its players. Alabama would’ve absolutely played a game if it missed the playoff, because that’s the right thing to do instead of quitting on your own players.”
“Notre Dame just wanted the control to make a decision on its own fate, when the real control was winning against Miami or Texas A&M, and it couldn’t. If a team like Notre Dame can do that, then so can many other teams, which we are seeing now, and it will really hurt other teams around the country who want to finish the season strong and actually play in a bowl game.
“Notre Dame won’t play in a conference, which hurts it year after year, and now it won’t play in a bowl game either, just because it doesn’t like the outcome of its failures.” – Taylor
Oklahoma Sooners News
When is the Sooners’ College Football Playoff game? Oklahoma set to host Alabama Crimson Tide
The Sooners are set to host Alabama for a playoff game.
