Alabama made the College Football Playoff every season from 2014-18. With the Crimson Tide losing to Auburn, UA’s second loss of 2019, the streak appears to be all but officially over, meaning we’re in uncharted territory as far as how Alabama will handle a non-Playoff bowl game.

Since Alabama’s Sugar Bowl appearance post-2013 season, it has become much more common for star players to sit out non-Playoff bowl games. Early Sunday morning (after midnight ET), Adam Kramer of Bleacher Report shared his opinion that if he were Jerry Jeudy, Henry Ruggs III, DeVonta Smith or Najee Harris, he would not play another down of college football. Kirk Herbstreit was not a fan of Kramer’s thinking.

“Since when is determining to play or not play in your bowl game just about what the NFL needs to see?!?” Herbstreit wrote in his quote-tweet reply. “The NFL has known about these guys and their abilities for years. You play to go COMPETE in another game with your boys. And if you decide it’s not worth it..you skip.”

Alabama won’t find out its bowl until after the conference championship games (like everyone else), but this will definitely be a story to watch as any NFL-bound players on the Crimson Tide have a decision to make.