Committee leaves Alabama out of the college football playoffs

December 8, 2024 – the University of Alabama will not be playing in the playoffs. Alabama fans' dreams of winning a national championship in 2024 are now officially over. The committee chose SMU over the Tide for the last available playoff spot.

At one point this season, Alabama, coming off a stunning victory over Georgia, was the number one team in the country; but the wheels began falling off the next week with a loss to Vanderbilt. Bama almost lost to South Carolina the following week and then followed that up with a loss to Tennessee. In past seasons that would have been the end of any national championship dreams; but Tide fans were buoyed somewhat due to the realization that 2 loss teams from the major conferences will likely get playoff berths in a field of 12 teams. Bama had their best four quarters of football of the season at LSU. All Alabama had to do to be guaranteed a berth in the inaugural playoff was to beat Mercer, a five win Oklahoma, and an Auburn team that struggled all year.

Bama got the first win over Mercer; then went to Oklahoma. The Sooners had looked outmatched against almost every SEC opponent they played; but thoroughly dominated Alabama 24 to 3. It was the worst performance by the Tide on any football field in years and one of only two SEC wins for Oklahoma. Bama concluded the season with a win over Auburn – the only other SEC team that Oklahoma had beaten – to finish the year 9 and 3.

Making the 12 team playoff field was going to be difficult; but when the playoff committee released their rankings on December 3 it looked like there was a path for Alabama to make it. Miami had been one of the top teams all year; but they lost two of their last three games to Georgia Tech and Syracuse. Would the committee take a 3 loss Alabama or a 2 loss Miami? On Tuesday night, the Committee ranked Alabama over Miami and over 3 loss SEC teams South Carolina and Ole Miss. According to those rankings Alabama would have been the last team in in the field of twelve.

All that was left were to play the conference championship games. The best five conference champions all get automatic bids in the playoffs.

Georgia won the SEC. Oregon won the Big 10, Arizona State won the Big 12, and Boisie State was the best group of five conference champion. Those four teams automatically got bids and first round byes. They the Committee had to take the ACC champion and the best 7 non-conference champion teams. Notre Dame 11-1 got the five spot, Texas 10-2, Tennessee 10-2, Indiana 11-1, Ohio State 10-2, and Penn State 11-2 were all in. The problem for Bama came in the ACC Championship game. Number 8 Southern Methodist University 11-1 was playing #15 Clemson 9-3 for the ACC title and the automatic bid in the playoffs. Clemson dominated the early part of the game; but SMU came roaring back to tie the game. Clemson then won it on a field goal Clemson got the automatic bid as the ACC Conference winner. The committee had a conundrum either take in the #11 seeded 3 loss Tide that did not do well enough to make their championship game or #8 SMU which lost just one game in the regular season; but narrowly lost their championship game.

The Alabama Crimson Tide will play the Michigan Wolverines in the ReliaQuest Bowl on Dec. 31 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.

Kickoff will be at 11:00 a.m. CST. The game will be televised on ESPN.