Just two years back in 2023, the CFP committee selected four final teams for the playoffs, and now it’s expanded to 12. Yet, despite the expansion, the controversies aren’t dying down. Be it FSU’s exclusion in 2023 over Alabama or TCU getting selected in 2022 over Bama again. There’s always something about the Crimson Tide that makes it a compelling playoff contender, even when it’s not selected. So, when the CFP was expanded to 12 for the first time, Alabama again made the news for its non-selection.
Did SMU or Indiana deserve that playoff spot last year? Was Alabama’s case compelling enough to beat other teams in the expanded 12? For starters, they did have the 16th-toughest schedule in the country, while Indiana benefited with a 60th-ranked schedule in toughness. Moreover, their wins against Georgia, LSU, and South Carolina were marquee wins, and that Georgia game, which they beat 41-34, was especially notable, considering the Dawgs won the SEC. And yet Bama got snubbed over the other teams. Now, Nick Saban, Bama’s legendary head coach, is calling for a change.
Saban, in a recent interview at Nick’s Foundation Giveaway Luncheon, delved into how’s SEC’s difficulty disfavors its teams like Alabama. “It gets to be a little bit of a disadvantage, because you get penalized for losses more in college football than you [get rewarded] for strength of schedule. That was unfortunate for Alabama last year in terms of getting in the playoffs. But hopefully we’ll get that fixed and work together to try to do it in the future,” said Nick Saban. Now, did Bama really deserve that playoff spot last year?
Alabama did have the 16th toughest schedule, along with managing to win some marquee games, but their losses were also notable. In that sense, being beaten by a bottom-rung Vanderbilt team, the first time since 1984, was cause enough alone. Then came the Oklahoma game, which showed the offensive weakness with bad QB play as Jalen Milroe threw three interceptions. Moreover, Oklahoma itself was performing poorly and managed just 6 wins, which likely bolstered CFP’s decision in favoring teams like SMU and Indiana.
On the contrary, Indiana managed to get 11 wins in just their first year under Curt Cignetti and also beat teams like Michigan and Nebraska. Sure, Michigan and Nebraska weren’t world-class last year, and Indiana did get beaten by a dominant Ohio State. But for the CFP committee, the losses against weaker teams carry a greater weight in determining the final selections, as echoed by its executive director himself. For now, though, this is the CFP world we live in, and no matter what you do, it’s impossible to make everyone satisfied, right? Now, coming to the 2025 season, Saban does have his pick for the SEC championship game already.
Nick Saban makes his choice of teams for the 2025 SEC championship game
It’s truly hard to predict who would make it to the SEC championship this year. Both Alabama and LSU are doing a great job with their programs now after last year’s setbacks, and South Carolina, with LaNorris Sellers, can never be underestimated. Then there are the teams like Texas and Georgia, probably favorites to make it to the SEC championship game like last year. But for Saban? He showed reluctance in picking the two best teams.
“I think Texas is one of the teams that obviously is really, really good this year. I think LSU has got a shot to be really good. I think Florida’s got a shot to be really good. I think Alabama and Georgia both have a shot to be really good. So I think there’s a lot of sort of top-end good teams,” said Nick Saban. And Saban’s not wrong, though; all these teams have several things to back their case, too.
Take, for instance, the Gators; they have DJ Lagway, who is already touted to be a Heisman-level player, considering his shoulder injury doesn’t resurface. Moreover, other teams like LSU and Texas also have world-class QBs in Garrett Nussmeier and Arch Manning, already being touted as two top draft picks in 2026. So yes, the competition is tough, truly. However, there’s one other team too, no one’s talking about, not even Saban. It’s Lane Kiffin’s Ole Miss; it sure doesn’t have Jaxson Dart, but Austin Simmons also has the talent to defy expectations. Who’s your pick then?
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