‘They shouldn’t have been in’ – Former Alabama star takes a strong stance about the Notre Dame playoff fiasco that may surprise some

Notre Dame fans weren’t the only ones who disagreed with the controversial playoff decision.

Ryan Roberts — National College Football Writer
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Alabama running back Damien Harris (34) stiff arms Florida State defensive back Derwin James (3) as he makes a long run in Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta Saturday, September 2, 2017. [Staff Photo/Gary Cosby Jr.]

When it was announced that Notre Dame football was being left out of the College Football Playoff in favor of Alabama and Miami, the Fighting Irish fanbase was met with shock and frustration. Not only did it feel like Notre Dame was going to make it following a Saturday of positivity, but the process to knock them out felt unjust and very flawed. Head coach Marcus Freeman and his team saw their season come to an abrupt ending, which has left a bad taste in everyone’s mouth. 

Forget about the Miami vs. Notre Dame debate for a second. While that whole process was frustrating and didn’t make a ton of sense, Alabama remaining in front of the Irish after losing 28-7 to the Georgia Bulldogs was even more frustrating. The Crimson Tide became the first program in the last two seasons to not move down in the final rankings after losing its conference championship game. If that isn’t some ESPN bias, especially after the committee chair Hunter Yurachek talked about how close a debate Alabama vs. Notre Dame was, I don’t know what is.

Even after Alabama was announced to be sticking at No. 9 on the rankings, it came with a lot of scrutiny. Some even came from CBS Sports College Football analyst Damien Harris, who played for the Crimson Tide. Before having a five-year career in the NFL, Harris was a very good player for Alabama from 2015-2018, where he helped the team win two National Championships. During that stretch, Harris would run for 2,779 yards and score 23 total touchdowns, eventually earning a third-round selection by the New England Patriots in the 2019 NFL Draft.

Despite his allegiance to the program, Harris pushed back big time on Alabama getting into the playoff over Notre Dame. He didn’t hesitate, even directly after the decision was made.

“Listen, I’m with the guys at the desk,” Harris said. “I don’t agree. I don’t agree. As we have sat here trying to figure out the most important statistics or metrics for the playoff committee, the two things that stick out to me have to be head-to-head and eye test. Alabama, they peaked weeks 3-6, 3-8, something like that, and they just don’t look the part. When I look at every other team that has been listed in the College Football Playoff, I think each and every one of these teams could potentially win a national championship. I know I went to Alabama. I know I’m supposed to say I have confidence that they can win a national championship, but I just don’t. That’s the eye test part that I can’t get over.

“If I’m one of these teams, Miami or Notre Dame, the team that more than likely doesn’t get in, I’m going to be raising Hell about this. There’s no way watching Alabama play last night, they didn’t drop at all. They didn’t move. You watch that game last night, you watch that performance by Ty Simpson, the lack of the running game, the holes in the defense – They shouldn’t have been in, point blank. They shouldn’t have been in.”

Finally, a voice of reason about Alabama

Despite Alabama losing this past, they weren’t punished in the final rankings. That set a bad standard by the committee, and it does feel like unjust bias, no matter what way you spin it. They are a team that has lost three games by an average that is in the double digits. They also have struggled mightily down the stretch, struggling to run the football offensively and stop the run on defense. Why is this team getting the benefit of the doubt?

It was refreshing to hear an Alabama alum speak against the Crimson Tide getting the nod over a team like Notre Dame. While Irish fans are bummed that the team didn’t make the playoffs, they are more frustrated by the process behind the selection. There didn’t seem to be a consistent direction, criteria, or way for the committee to make things equitable. Notre Dame was, unfortunately, the victim of subjectivity from a group of voters who seemingly don’t understand the biases that they hold.

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