It’s officially politicking season in college football. With less than a week remaining until the final 12-team College Football Playoff field is set, University of Alabama athletic director Greg Byrne is making his pitch for why the Crimson Tide should make the playoff.
Byrne, who became Alabama’s athletic director in January 2017, took to social media on Monday night to plead the Crimson Tide’s case.
While not mentioning any other schools vying for a playoff spot directly by name, Alabama will hope to reach the 12-team field over the Miami Hurricanes (10-2), the Ole Miss Rebels (9-3), and the surging South Carolina Gamecocks (9-3).
Byrne used a familiar line while touting Alabama’s strength of schedule: “Not all schedules and conferences are created equal.”
Added Byrne:
“We’ve worked diligently to add more challenging non-conference home-and-homes, which is good for college football, not to mention the week-in and week-out of the SEC and it being the toughest in the country.”
Here’s a good look at the numbers/rankings for @AlabamaFTBL. Recognize there’s lots of chatter out there about 2 vs. 3 loss teams, however that is just one factor. When you look at the @CFBPlayoff Principles for its Selection Committee, the first bullet point on the list of… pic.twitter.com/EGrp7pVbaA
— Greg Byrne (@Greg_Byrne) December 3, 2024
RELATED: Kalen DeBoer makes case for why Alabama should make College Football Playoff
Alabama defeated South Carolina, 27-25, back on Oct. 12 at Bryant-Denny Stadium, a nail-biter of a game that ended when Domani Jackson picked off LaNorris Sellers in the end-zone with the Gamecocks driving at the Crimson Tide 40-yard line.
Alabama and Ole Miss did not play this season, marking the first time since 1991 that the two schools didn’t meet on the gridiron. Ole Miss defeated Mississippi State, 26-14, in the Egg Bowl on Friday at Vaught Hemingway Stadium in Oxford.
The Rebels’ three losses came to the LSU Tigers, Florida Gators and, perhaps most damning, a 20-17 upset at home against the Kentucky Wildcats, who closed the regular season at 4-8 overall. At 1-7 in conference play, Kentucky finished second to last in the SEC standings.
South Carolina won six straight games to close the season at 9-3. The Gamecocks are ranked No. 12 in this week’s US LBM Coaches Poll after a 17-14 road win over the Clemson Tigers. Coach Shane Beamer’s team, led by freshman quarterback Sellers, lost head-to-head games against both Alabama and Ole Miss, as well as LSU.
Alabama finished the regular season 9-3 overall and 5-3 in SEC play following their 28-14 win over the Auburn Tigers. Jalen Milroe was 18-of-24 for 256 yards through the air, with 104 yards and three touchdowns on the ground on 17 carries.
Among its best victories this season, Kalen DeBoer’s team has wins over the Georgia Bulldogs (10-2), who were ranked No. 1 when Alabama beat them 41-34 on Sept. 28 in Tuscaloosa, plus a 42-13 blowout victory over LSU at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge on Nov. 9, and South Carolina.
The Crimson Tide roses two spots to No. 11 in the Coaches Poll. Last week, they fell six spots to No. 13 in the CFP rankings following an ugly 24-3 loss to the Oklahoma Sooners in Norman. Two teams ranked ahead of Alabama then suffered losses in Week 14.
RELATED: How to watch CFP rankings for Alabama football fans: Time, live stream, channel
Previously sixth-ranked Miami (10-2 overall) fell 42-38 at Syracuse, squandering a 21-point lead against the Orange during a game in which the Hurricanes could have wrapped up a spot in the ACC Championship Game against the SMU Mustangs.
Clemson (9-3) was ranked one spot ahead of Alabama in last week’s CFP rankings at No. 12 before their loss to South Carolina. Dabo Swinney and the Tigers can wrap up a berth in the playoff with a win over SMU Saturday night in the ACC title game in Charlotte.
The updated CFP rankings will be unveiled Tuesday night beginning at 6 p.m. CT on ESPN. The final rankings will be revealed Sunday, Dec. 8 beginning at 11 a.m. CT on ESPN following the conclusion of Championship Saturday this weekend.
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