Why did Alabama get in the Playoff over Ohio State? CFP chair Kirby Hocutt explains
By Adam Spencer
Published:
The College Football Playoff field is set, and two SEC teams are in the field — No. 3 Georgia and No. 4 Alabama.
The selection of the Crimson Tide was a bit of a surprise, as the Big Ten-champion Ohio State Buckeyes also had a strong case for the final spot.
CFP chair Kirby Hocutt explained why the Crimson Tide got the final spot, saying Ohio State’s 31-point loss at Iowa in November was a huge concern for the committee.
“The selection committee looked at a one-loss Alabama team,” Hocutt said. “That loss coming to ranked Auburn. It compared it to the two-loss Ohio State team. The second loss to Iowa was damaging.
“We talked about the full body of work. The selection committee favored Alabama’s full body of work over Ohio State’s. The selection committee believed that Alabama was the better football team.”
Now, Alabama will have a chance to prove it, as the Tide will take on No. 1 Clemson in the Sugar Bowl on New Year’s Day.
Will they be able to pull off the win and advance to another national title game? That remains to be seen, but it should be a fun Playoff this year.
Adam is a daily fantasy sports (DFS) and sports betting expert. A 2012 graduate of the University of Missouri, Adam now covers all 16 SEC football teams. He is the director of DFS, evergreen and newsletter content across all Saturday Football brands.
