As the Alabama Crimson Tide sat idle Saturday, multiple ranked teams from across college football were in action during conference championship week, with some of those games having College Football Playoff implications.
Among the most notable of those games came was for the ACC title, which featured the SMU Mustangs colliding with the Clemson Tigers in a Top 25 showdown.
Clemson would also go on to win the game as well by a final score of 34-31, setting up a decision for the College Football Playoff committee for the final spot between the Crimson Tide and SMU for the final spot in the field.
An argument that is likely to take place throughout Sunday morning leading up to the CFP bracket release, let’s compare the resumes for both Alabama and SMU.
Alabama Crimson Tide vs. SMU Mustangs Record Comparison
- Alabama: 9-3 overall (5-3 in SEC)
- SMU: 11-2 overall (8-0 in ACC), ACC Championship Game loser
Alabama Crimson Tide vs. SMU Mustangs Stats Comparison
- Alabama: 35.5 PPG (No. 17 in NCAA), 17.2 PPG Allowed (No. 11 in NCAA)
- SMU: 39.2 PPG (No. 4 in NCAA), 19.8 PPG Allowed (No. 19 in NCAA) – Prior to ACC Championship Game
Alabama Crimson Tide vs. SMU Mustangs Ranking Comparison
- Alabama: No. 11 in College Football Playoff Rankings, No. 11 in AP Poll, No. 11 in US LBM Coaches Poll
- SMU: No. 8 in College Football Playoff Rankings, No. 8 in AP Poll, No. 7 in US LBM Coaches Poll
Alabama Crimson Tide vs. SMU Mustangs ESPN FPI Comparison
- Alabama: No. 4 in NCAA
- SMU: No. 13 in NCAA
Alabama Crimson Tide vs. SMU Mustangs Strength of Schedule Comparison
- Alabama: No. 18 in NCAA
- SMU: No. 75 in NCAA
Alabama Crimson Tide vs. SMU Mustangs Best Wins Comparison
- Alabama: 41-34 vs. Georgia (11-2 overall, SEC Champion), 27-25 vs. South Carolina (9-3 overall), 34-0 vs. Missouri (9-3 overall)
- SMU: 28-27 at Duke (9-3 overall), 34-27 at Louisville (8-4 overall), 66-42 vs. TCU (8-4 overall)
Alabama Crimson Tide vs. SMU Mustangs Losses Comparison
- Alabama: 40-35 at Vanderbilt (6-6 overall), 24-17 at Tennessee (10-2 overall), 24-3 at Oklahoma (6-6 overall)
- SMU: 18-15 vs. BYU (10-2 overall), 34-31 vs. (N) Clemson (10-3 overall, ACC Champion)
Alabama Crimson Tide vs. SMU Mustangs Record Against Current Top 25 Teams Comparison
- Alabama: 3-1 overall (Wins vs. Georgia, South Carolina, Missouri – Loss at Tennessee)
- SMU: 0-2 overall (Loss vs. BYU, Clemson)
Alabama Crimson Tide vs. SMU Mustangs Record Against Bowl-Eligible Teams Comparison
- Alabama: 6-3 overall (Wins vs. Western Kentucky, South Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Missouri, at LSU – Loss at Vanderbilt, at Tennessee, at Oklahoma) – Also defeated 11-2 FCS Mercer
- SMU: 6-2 overall (Wins vs. TCU, at Louisville, at Duke, Pittsburgh, Boston College, California – Loss vs. BYU, Clemson)
Alabama Crimson Tide vs. SMU Mustangs Record Against Then Top 25 Teams Comparison
- Alabama: 3-1 overall (Wins vs. Georgia, Missouri, at LSU – Loss at Tennessee)
- SMU: 2-1 overall (Wins at Louisville, vs. Pittsburgh – Loss vs. Clemson)
Alabama Crimson Tide vs. SMU Mustangs Combined Opponent Record Comparison
- Alabama: 94-53 overall
- SMU: 83-75 overall
Alabama Crimson Tide or SMU Mustangs? CFP Prediction
In conclusion, it’s clear to see why this could be a tough decision for the CFP committee, as Alabama has some advantages when it comes to the caliber of their resume compared to the Mustangs, but SMU holds the edge when it comes to prior ranking, as they were ranked higher than the Crimson Tide, as well as having just played in a conference championship game Saturday.
As to what I think happens, I believe the CFP committee will end up going with SMU over Alabama for the final spot, meaning that the Crimson Tide miss the College Football Playoff.