Warde Manuel explains why CFP Selection Committee chose SMU over Alabama

If you thought expanding the College Football Playoff to 12 teams would avoid the rampant controversy that defined the four-time playoff, think again. There is always going to be a "deserving" team that gets left out, no matter how far you expand the field.

This year, the unlucky snub is Alabama. The Crimson Tide finished 9-3, but secured wins over Missouri, LSU, South Carolina, and Georgia. That is probably second only to Georgia for the most impressive slate of victories in college football this season. Unfortunately, Bama also lost thrice — including duds against unranked Vanderbilt and Oklahoma. The latter was a 24-3 blowout in the penultimate week of the season, which clearly stuck with the CFP selection committee.

Instead, the final non-conference champion slot in the 12-team field went to the SMU Mustangs, who finished the season 11-2 after a narrow loss to Clemson in the ACC title game.

SMU finished with the 15th-best strength of record in college football. Alabama's was ninth. SMU had the 60th toughest strength of schedule and did not beat a ranked opponent. Alabama beat several ranked opponents and faced the 16th toughest schedule, per ESPN. So there is an inherent imbalance here. It's difficult to parse which team was more deserving.

Nick Saban argued vehemently for Alabama on the broadcast, but he obviously has skin in the game. SMU fans would have been equally upset if the Crimson Tide eked in with three losses. So, how does the chairman of the selection committee, Warde Manuel, explain this tough decision?

Well, it's pretty straightforward. They had the same debate as everyone else and came to the conclusion that SMU deserved its berth.

Warde Manuel explains why SMU made the College Football Playoff over Alabama

SMU's two losses this season came against ranked opponents — BYU and Clemson, the latter being a three-point loss in the ACC title game. The Mustangs went undefeated in conference play, whereas Alabama lost to two unranked opponents in rather embarrassing fashion. That was part of what put SMU in the driver's seat.

Manuel took aim at the strength of schedule brigade, noting that the committee does take that metric into account.

Alabama finishing over two-loss Miami, for example, is proof positive that strength of schedule does matter for something. Does it matter enough? That remains up for debate, but SMU has been blowing teams out all season and should not be penalized for losing the ACC championship on a long walk-off field goal. SMU finished the regular season with two fewer losses than Alabama and no hiccups against unranked opponents, which feels like a notable distinction.

Of course, there is a loud chorus of angry Alabama defenders — it's Alabama. There was always going to be an unhappy customer. This season it just happens to be the marquee college football program. Kalen DeBoer did an admirable job in his first season at the helm, but the Crimson Tide's meltdown in Oklahoma was enough to shunt Bama to the postseason outskirts. Such is life. If Alabama didn't lose by 21 points to a mostly bad Sooners team, they'd be in the CFP. It's that simple.