Sorry, SEC: If Alabama wanted a CFP bid over Indiana, don't lose to Oklahoma
After handily losing to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the first round of the College Football Playoff, SEC fans are likely angry at the fact that the Indiana Hoosiers got into the 12-team tournament while programs like South Carolina, Alabama or Ole Miss didn't. Although fans of these programs will claim that their teams may have put up a better result against the Irish, it's unfair to say that the Hoosiers should have been taken out any of them.
The Hoosiers are an easy target for second-guessing right now, as the program was questioned heading into the CFP due to an extremely poor strength of schedule (and a loss against their only marquee opponent, Ohio State). The cries will only get louder after laying an egg in South Bend. But don't let revisionist history fool you: The playoff committee still got this 12-team field right, and Indiana's regular-season resume still made them more worthy of inclusion.
Sorry SEC: Crying foul doesn't work when you lose games against medicore programs
With notable wins against playoff-bound Clemson and other top tier contenders, it's clear that South Carolina had arguably the best case among all three-loss teams to make the playoff. Still, three losses to LSU, Alabama and Ole Miss this season were more enough to take them out of the 12-team tournament. The Rebels may have had an actual case to make the playoff if the program didn't have three losses and an extremely weak out-of-conference schedule. And while Alabama did have a great win against playoff-bound Georgia, Kalen DeBoer should have had his offense more prepared against the likes of mediore Oklahoma and Vanderbilt teams if they wanted to mount a legitimate CFP case.
Yes, the ratings would have likely been a lot higher if a high-profile team like Alabama was included in a matchup against Notre Dame. Still, it would be unfair for the Hoosiers to be left out of the playoff with them having 11 wins this season. Yes, their strength of schedule was quite terrible this season. Still, the program deserved a chance to compete on a national stage, having cleared nearly every hurdle in front of them this season. Even if they didn't ultimately prove worthy, three-loss teams like Alabama, Ole Miss and South Carolina already had their chance, several times over, and they stumbled.
Curt Cignetti will be able to build up his Hoosiers program on the recruiting trail and in the transfer portal because of this experience. Respectfully, Kalen DeBoer, Lane Kiffin and Shane Beamer don't deserve to run their mouths when they had control of their own destiny; as bad as Indiana looked, they still scored 14 more points than the Tide scored against a 6-6 Sooners team. Considering the losses that these SEC programs suffered this season, it's unfair to say that they should have made the playoff instead of the Hoosiers.