Alabama players shoulder blame for missing College Football Playoff
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Alabama fell short of making the first-ever 12-team playoff this season, being named the first team out of the field by the College Football Playoff selection committee after finishing the regular season with a 9-3 record.
The decision by the committee to exclude the Crimson Tide in favor of ACC runner-up SMU has proved to be a controversial one. Fans and analysts alike have argued for both sides, those supporting Alabama pointing to its strength of schedule.
Despite Alabama having a strength of schedule rating significantly higher than SMU, and having three more ranked wins, the committee selected the team with fewer losses. Instead of being combative with the committee’s choice, Alabama players acknowledged what they could have done more of to secure a playoff spot: win.
“It’s on us. We all know that,” Alabama linebacker Jihaad Campbell said. “I think a lot of people want to put it on the committee or whatever, but during the season we didn’t do what we were supposed to do. We were inconsistent, really. We gave the committee a decision to make about us. Through the season if we won out every game, we would be in the playoff.”
Even after losing games to Vanderbilt and Tennessee in the month of October, Alabama sat in prime position to make the playoff with two weeks to go in the regular season. The Crimson Tide was well in the field with a No. 7 ranking entering a game against 5-5 Oklahoma on Nov. 23, a game it lost 24-3 and was the eventual dagger to its playoff hopes.
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Now instead of the playoff, Alabama will play against Michigan in the ReliaQuest Bowl. Though it’s surely a disappointing result given the national championship aspirations the team had, Alabama players are still approaching the game with the appropriate mindset.
“Right now we’re focused on going to Tampa and playing Michigan,” Campbell said.
Multiple draft-eligible Alabama players have already announced their intentions to play in the bowl game instead of opting out, which has become a trend as of late in college football. Campbell, quarterback Jalen Milroe, and cornerback Domani Jackson are among those that have publicly stated their intentions to play, and very few opt-outs, if any at all are expected come game time.
“Everyone should be playing,” Jackson said.
The ReliaQuest Bowl will be played at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, and will kick off at 11 a.m. CT on New Year’s Eve.
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