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SMU could ‘potentially’ fall behind Alabama with ACC title game loss, CFP chair says
By Andrew Olson
Published:
Alabama is feeling good after the latest College Football Playoff rankings. The Crimson Tide are ranked No. 11 and projected last at-large team in the field as the 11-seed in the latest bracket.
UA is ahead of No. 12 Miami, No. 13 Ole Miss and No. 14 South Carolina. None of the 4 teams are playing conference championship games, so they aren’t jumping ahead of the Crimson Tide. But what about the ACC Championship Game?
No. 8 SMU and No. 17 Clemson will meet in Charlotte. If the Tigers win, they are positioned to be one of the 5 highest-ranked conference champions, even if outside the top 12 in the final rankings. While many initial reactions focused on Alabama needing SMU to keep Clemson from crashing the party, CFP selection committee chair Warde Manuel indicated that the Mustangs don’t have a guaranteed spot after going 11-1 to reach the ACC title game.
Q. My question is how will you evaluate SMU relative to Alabama if SMU loses in the ACC Championship game?
WARDE MANUEL: You know, that is something that we will decide in the room at the conclusion of those games when we evaluate what happens in the championship. I can’t sort of go into the future and tell you exactly how the outcome of that discussion will be. It depends on the outcome of the game and how it’s played and the results themselves.
We will just have to wait and see how the committee is going to analyze that game depending on the outcome, where things will go in terms of rankings and how people will move or will not move.
When pressed about the possibility of SMU falling behind Alabama, Manuel left the door open.
Q. But could SMU drop below Alabama if it loses?
WARDE MANUEL: Potentially, yes. And they can move above teams, as well. Again, it just depends on the outcome of the game.
The ACC Championship Game is set for 8 p.m. ET on Saturday in Charlotte. Alabama fans will be watching closely, pulling for SMU to take care of business.
Andrew writes about sports to fund his love of live music and collection of concert posters. He strongly endorses the Hall of Fame campaigns of Fred Taylor and Andruw Jones.
