Alabama Athletic Director Greg Byrne recently took to social media to express frustration over the Crimson Tide’s exclusion from this year’s College Football Playoff (CFP).
Byrne’s post suggested that Alabama’s scheduling was a major factor in the snub and implied that changes could be on the horizon. “We have said that we would need to see how...we can put ourselves in the best position to participate in the CFP,” Byrne wrote.
It seemed like a rallying cry for Alabama fans—until things took an unexpected turn.
A “Readers Add Context” note was added to his post, and let’s just say it wasn’t kind to his narrative. The note read:
“All of Alabama’s losses came in conference play. Alabama’s non-conference schedule was one of the easiest in the country, playing two Group of 5 schools (WKU and USF), one FCS school, and one Power 4 team—the 5-7 Wisconsin Badgers, who finished 12th in the Big Ten.”
Disappointed with the outcome and felt we were one of the 12 best teams in the country. We had an extremely challenging schedule and recognize there were two games in particular that we did not perform as well as we should have.
— Greg Byrne (@Greg_Byrne) December 8, 2024
We have said that we would need to see how…
Ouch. That single paragraph deflates Byrne’s argument that Alabama’s schedule was “extremely challenging" because of non-conference matchups. While it’s true that the Tide’s SEC schedule was tough—because, well, it’s the SEC—the non-conference slate doesn’t scream “Playoff caliber" at all.
As a matter of fact, we don't see any reason why Alabama would change its scheduling, since they were actually propelled past Miami for beating Mercer earlier this season. Who could forget about that?
The added context has also fueled debates among college football fans. How can Alabama’s schedule be considered rigorous when they didn’t face a single top-tier non-conference opponent? Maybe Byrne should actually change his scheduling habits to put a marquee non-conference game on the Tide's schedule, instead of traveling to USF.
So, where does Alabama go from here? If Byrne truly plans to “assess” future scheduling, the Tide will need to up their game outside of the SEC. Sure, there’s always the risk of losses with a tougher schedule, but it’s also a chance to make a stronger case for CFP inclusion.
Of course, that's not exactly what the Alabama Athletic Director had in mind when he crafted his post.