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Kirk Herbstreit breaks down how a 1-loss Alabama would affect CFP scenarios
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If the top teams continue winning, the College Football Playoff selection committee’s job will be as simple as it has ever been.
But Kirb Herbstreit believes a loss by the top-ranked team throughout the season could throw a huge wrench into the proceedings.
The ESPN college football analyst sees a difficult decision for the CFP committee if Alabama loses one of its final two games against either Auburn or Georgia. That would create a debate between the Crimson Tide and fellow one-loss team Michigan, and Herbstreit believes Alabama could get left out if that’s the case.
Herbstreit’s explained his position on the situation during ESPN’s rankings reveal show Tuesday night, and you can read his comments below (via BamaOnLine, 247Sports.com’s Alabama website).
“I need an hour here to (discuss) the scenarios and all the games. Let’s say Clemson wins and Notre Dame wins out, it could come down to a debate between more than likely Michigan and Alabama. The committee would have to take into consideration where Alabama has been all year, to be candid. I think unless Alabama goes out and just dominates Auburn and then barely loses to Georgia, I think there would be a very strong case that Alabama would be left out and Michigan would go ahead of them. I don’t think it’s as simple as, ‘Alabama, just get to Atlanta. They can lose, no problem, they’re still in the Playoff.’ I think there’s too many good teams right now hovering around that Top 4. I think it would very hard if Michigan, Clemson and Notre Dame were to win and Georgia were to beat Alabama, I wish I could make a case, but I think Alabama would be left out.”
This hypothetical scenario would set up an interesting debate for the selection committee members, especially if Alabama loses to Georgia in the SEC title game. Would Michigan being a conference champion outweigh the Crimson Tide’s season-long dominance? And how would potential one-loss conference champions Oklahoma and Washington State factor into the decision?
We won’t find out unless it happens, and with the way Alabama is playing, that scenario doesn’t seem very likely.
Marcus covers SEC football for Saturday Down South.
