Heather Dinich believes Miami is biggest x-factor to Alabama's case for College Football Playoff

Of all the seeding to keep an eye on tonight, ESPN’s Heather Dinich is noting where the Miami Hurricanes and Alabama Crimson Tide find themselves in the next-to-last rankings for the College Football Playoff.

Dinich discussed the Hurricanes and the Crimson Tide while on ‘Get Up’ on Tuesday. She wants to see where The ‘U and ‘Bama find themselves in the ratings with it providing an idea of which of the two, if either, make the CFP.

“Well, Miami is the biggest x-factor tonight,” said Dinich. “If Miami is in, I think Alabama is out. If the ‘Canes are out, I think three-loss Alabama is in.”

For Dinich, Alabama will still be right there on the bubble, along with some other teams in the SEC, with the resumé that they have at 9-3.

“The reason I have the Tide at 12 in the ranking is because I think the selection committee will continue to honor Alabama and Ole Miss’ head-to-head wins against South Carolina, as good as South Carolina is playing,” Dinich explained.

However, as for the actual committee, Miami could still be in and in front of Alabama, especially once we start comparing losses, despite them losing their season finale last weekend and costing themselves a spot in the ACC Championship.

“Back to Miami for a minute,” Dinich said. “I think Selection Committee Chair Warde Manuel is going to repeat what he has said this season about the committee respecting close losses. They have two of them – Georgia Tech and now Syracuse. Those two losses are probably better in the committee’s meeting room than Alabama’s two losses to Oklahoma and Vanderbilt, two teams that each have six losses.”

With this being the final projection before the field’s official selection this weekend, this is it for some of these teams. That’s the case for both of Miami and Alabama with Dinich going into Tuesday’s reveal thinking that the Hurricanes will have a lead on the Tide in the Top-25.

“We’ll see if they agree with me but that’s why I think they will lean toward the ‘Canes tonight,” said Dinich.

Paul Finebaum makes bold prediction on Alabama, Miami ahead of CFP Top-25 reveal

Paul Finebaum is of the mind that Alabama will get the playoff nod over Miami ahead of the penultimate reveal tonight.

To be clear, Finebaum was asked if Alabama will get into the playoff with the final rankings not revealed until after the conference championship games. But, in the end, it’ll be Alabama over Miami based on the resumé. It’ll also be Alabama in over the other three-loss SEC teams in Ole Miss and South Carolina.

“I think they will get in,” Finebaum said this morning on ‘Get Up’. “And whether it’s brand bias, I don’t know. But, to me, if the committee looks at Alabama and Miami, they see two very flawed teams. Listen, there’s no quibbling about that. But Alabama has accomplished something on the field. They beat Georgia. They beat South Carolina. I’m just not impressed with Miami’s wins. That doesn’t maybe make up for Alabama’s egregious losses. The Vanderbilt and Oklahoma games were terrible. But I think Alabama is a better football team overall and I’d like to see Miami play that schedule and walk away with two losses. It wouldn’t happen.”