Joel Klatt: Argument for Alabama in CFP ‘patently absurd’

Fox Sports’ Joel Klatt doesn’t want to hear any arguments for Alabama over Texas should the two be neck and neck for a College Football Playoff spot this year.

Texas has the head-to-head win in Tuscaloosa and the Longhorns remained ahead of the Crimson Tide in the latest CFP rankings. But what if they’re both 12-1 and conference champions?

Naturally, Texas would get in right? Well, not so fast according to Klatt and he’s steamed about the possibility.

“You can hear the drumbeat,” Klatt said on his podcast. “You hear it every Saturday. You see it on social media. You heard it last night as the rankings (were) released. You hear this drumbeat for a 12-1 Alabama that it’s like well, it’s different and they’re so much better now. And hey, if they beat No. 1 Georgia and they end that win streak, and so now you’re sitting there, Florida State remains undefeated, the Big Ten champ remains undefeated, Oregon goes 12-1 or Washington goes undefeated and Bama beats Georgia.

“Guess what? Guess what? There are going to be a lot of voices, not mine, but a lot of voices spewing the propaganda that Bama deserves to be in the playoff over Texas, which is patently absurd.”

Let’s put Klatt’s theory to practice. Let’s say there’s an undefeated Big Ten champion and Florida State is undefeated.

Okay, so those teams are No. 1 and 2, respectively. If Washington is undefeated, the Huskies are in as the third team, so there is one spot left for 12-1 Texas, 12-1 Alabama and 12-1 Georgia, in Klatt’s scenario.

Well, based on the CFP’s criteria, Georgia gets knocked down a peg without a conference title and a loss to Alabama, which Texas beat. So there you go: Texas vs. Alabama, both with conference titles.

But it would be hard to believe the committee would flip at that point and keep Texas out. Never say never, but it’s hard to argue otherwise.

“You can hear it,” Klatt said. “They’re not even hiding it. It’s in plain sight. Talking about how good Alabama has been and yes, they have been and good for them. Good for them. Jalen Milroe has been outstanding in the second half of the season. That’s a really talented team, one of the most talented if not the most talented rosters in all of college football.

“They’ve got the best coach in the history of the sport. Okay, they’re going to be a really good football team and tough to beat. But the drumbeat for them to get in over Texas is not so faint anymore.” 

Alabama bound for the College Football Playoff?

Klatt is right in that there’s a “drumbeat” to say how good Alabama is. Surely. But the Crimson Tide still trail Texas in the CFP rankings despite Texas looking unimpressive lately with and without Quinn Ewers, plus losing Jonathan Brooks for the season.

“Regardless of the fact that the Longhorns beat Alabama by double digits in their home stadium, it’s going to be there,” Klatt said. “That drumbeat will be so loud, the propaganda will be so thick from that side. I tell you what, I think that would be an absurd notion but look at what they’re doing.

“And now we go back to my original point which is the propping up of a team like Tennessee and propping up of a team like Missouri. Why do you need to do that? Well, because you might have a nice little debate at the end. You might have a great little debate at the end where you’re gonna need to give someone a nudge and get them over that pesky little head to head game that we saw earlier in September. I’m telling you if that happens, I’m going to lose my mind. I’m going to lose my mind.”

Klatt isn’t wrong about Texas being ahead of Alabama, which is what he’s clamoring for. But to think Alabama would swoop in in that scenario might be a little far fetched.

To take it a step further, let’s say there’s an undefeated Big Ten champion, Florida State is undefeated and now you have 12-1 Oregon, 12-1 Texas, 12-1 Alabama and 12-1 Georgia. Now what do you do?

Well, logic indicates the conference champs get in, eliminating Georgia. But does Alabama get left out after beating Georgia? Now we have a complicated scenario. If Alabama gets in, logic says Texas should be in as well. But how do you knock out Oregon or even Georgia if its only loss is a great one.

If we get that debate, maybe we’ll circle back to Klatt’s point about Texas and Alabama.