The Alabama Crimson Tide were omitted from the College Football Playoff last season for only the second time since its inception, and coach Nick Saban is still mad about it.
In an interview with Joel Klatt of FOX Sports, Saban criticized the selection committee for omitting his Crimson Tide from the playoff in what turned out to be an 11-2 season. Saban pointed to betting lines, arguing that Alabama would have been favored over three of the four teams that actually did make the field.
“All we do is take the teams that win the most games at the end of the year, put them into the playoffs,” Saban said, via Shehan Jeyarajah of CBS Sports. “But do you really get the best teams? When they told me that we would be favored against three out of the four teams that got in the playoff, I’m like, ‘Why aren’t we in the playoffs?'”
Alabama’s status as a blue blood ensures that they are generally favored regardless of who they are playing. They did suffer two losses, but both came on the last play of the game. Still, the field of four consisted of two teams in Georgia and Michigan that entered unbeaten, and two others in Ohio State and TCU that only lost once. Notably, Ohio State’s only loss was to the aforementioned Wolverines.
The point spread argument has been key to Saban’s case for inclusion. Ultimately, few are going to sympathize, though. Alabama lost twice, both times in games they were favored to win, and we can only go off the body of work.
