In the final year of the College Football Playoff’s four-team era, there was some major controversy regarding which team deserved the fourth and final spot. Alabama, with one loss, ultimately got the nod over Florida State, which went undefeated in the 2023 season. The frustration and anger out of Tallahassee is understandable, but what would have happened if the roles were reversed?
The No. 4 Crimson Tide is now preparing to take on top-ranked Michigan in the Rose Bowl CFP semifinal while the No. 5 Seminoles have nearly all starters opting out of the non-CFP Orange Bowl game against No. 6 Georgia.
Former Alabama wide receiver Mac Hereford recently joined the Bring the Juice Podcast and shared his thoughts on how Nick Saban would have reacted if the Tide went undefeated, won the SEC championship and still got left out of the playoffs.
To start, Hereford makes it clear that Saban would have been absolutely livid. This is on par with what we’ve seen from Florida State head coach Mike Norvell, his team and Seminoles fans.
However, the biggest difference comes from how Hereford believes Saban would approach the bowl game.
“I think at the end of the day he would tell the guys, ‘Look, it is what it is. There’s not anything we could do about it, we got to prepare for the bowl game and got to make a statement in that bowl game, and go out there and kick the ass of the team we’re playing against and make a point.’ “
Despite having two losses in 2022, the Crimson Tide made a late-season push to the playoffs but was ranked No. 5 in the final College Football Playoff rankings, making them the first team out. The non-playoff bowl game Alabama was picked for was the Sugar Bowl against Kansas State, which was fresh off of a win over TCU in the Big 12 championship.
In that game, Alabama did not have many players opt out. Most notably, quarterback Bryce Young and linebacker Will Anderson Jr. chose to participate in the bowl game. Those two players ended up becoming the first and third overall picks in the 2023 NFL draft, respectively.
How would Nick Saban handle getting left out of the college football playoff if Alabama was in the same situation as Florida State? 🤔
🎥: @bt_juice_pod #RollTide pic.twitter.com/phvF2sSe9x
— Mercury (@CollegeSportsCo) December 27, 2023
It’s no surprise to see the fifth-ranked team be upset about missing the playoffs, as it has become a common frustration in the College Football Playoff era. The committee hopes to alleviate those concerns beginning in 2024 when the playoff field expands to 12 teams.
Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow Alabama football as the team prepares for the semifinal Rose Bowl matchup against Michigan.
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