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Paul Finebaum offers grim outlook for Alabama ahead of College Football Playoff bracket reveal

Barkley-Truaxby:Barkley Truax•12/08/24•

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Shanna Lockwood-USA TODAY Sports

ESPN’s Heather Dinich has Alabama as the first team out of the College Football Playoff based on the fallout from conference championship week.

Clemson‘s win over SMU in the ACC title game in particular makes it complicated for the selection committee to choose between the Mustangs and Crimson Tide. Paul Finebaum, who joined Dinich on SportsCenter on Sunday morning, believes that ACC title outcome may have created disaster for Alabama.

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“If you were sitting at Alabama and said, ‘Let’s come up with the worst possible scenario for us,’ — it happened last night in Charlotte,” Finebaum said. “Up until the fourth quarter, Alabama was in the playoff because SMU had not looked playoff worthy and then it all changed. And what you have to think is that committee sitting in that big room watching the game, they’re all connected to athletics. They respect competition.

“When SMU came back, I think everything changed in that room. I think they felt, as Rhett Lashlee said, it probably would be criminal. It wouldn’t be criminal in all reality, but that’s the perception. I think ultimately what got Alabama in last year is going to keep Alabama out.”

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Finebaum is referring to the ACC as a whole, as the committee last season opted to have two-loss Alabama in as the four-seed over undefeated ACC Champion Florida State. To have the ACC’s champion this year, Clemson (already a bitter rival of Alabama), be the team to knock out the Crimson Tide one year later could be looked as at poetic justice to fans of the conference.

For Alabama, to Finebaum’s point, the Crimson Tide faithful would feel like the last spot was stolen from them. Not only does the Crimson Tide have a win over the SEC Champion Georgia Bulldogs, but they also have the No. 16 strength of schedule compared to the Mustangs 60th this season.

Regardless to how this may play out, all questions will be answered and speculation will be pushed to the side when the first official 12-team CFP bracket is revealed on Sunday at Noon ET.