No one knew exactly what to expect heading into the College Football Playoff Rankings Selection Show on Sunday.
After Clemson's freshman kicker Nolan Hauser belted a 56-yard field goal as time expired to beat SMU and earn the Tigers an automatic berth in the College Football Playoff, things became very uneasy in both Dallas and Tuscaloosa.
For an entire week now, we've heard the discussion and comparisons between SMU and Alabama. Many believed that the Crimson Tide should get in because of their strength of schedule. Others believed their bad losses — namely Oklahoma and Vanderbilt — should keep them from the 12-team College Football Playoff field.
Regardless of where you stood heading into Sunday, no one really knew what the committee would do as it mulled over its twelfth and final team.
Then, it happened.
The rankings show confirmed that SMU would be getting the No. 11 seed, leaving Alabama as the first-team-out. The Crimson Tide, which had clinged to hope, saw that snatched away and Kalen DeBoer's program will now have to settle for a consolation bowl game and to watch the College Football Playoff from their couches.
There was jubilee and a lot of fun had at Alabama's expense as Sunday afternoon progressed.
“Alabama will miss the College Football Playoff”
— Nick Perkins (@NickyPerkss) December 8, 2024
The entire country: pic.twitter.com/mZnw0XYbsP
Alabama’s bad losses were CONFERENCE games.
— Nicole Auerbach (@NicoleAuerbach) December 8, 2024
I have no idea why people are trying to make this a referendum on nonconference scheduling. https://t.co/cckWiaV0na
Alabama and their media lackeys explaining why it’s actually good to lose 40-35 to Vanderbilt and 24-3 to Oklahoma pic.twitter.com/VXEwtxcRlx
— Ryan Ginn (@rmginn) December 8, 2024
Alabama: "Can you put us in the CFP."
— FanDuel Sportsbook (@FDSportsbook) December 8, 2024
The committee: pic.twitter.com/vqPQZGtRZL
I can’t repeat enough, Alabama did not lose a nonconference game or schedule anyone hard in nonconference this year. In fact, if they *did* schedule someone hard and won, they might have gotten in. https://t.co/vROhZfLnvQ
— Shehan Jeyarajah (@ShehanJeyarajah) December 8, 2024
The playoff committee telling Alabama why they didn’t get in pic.twitter.com/0e0ddhWXaW
— Tony Roundtree (@Tonywithyy) December 8, 2024
A few hours after the 12-team playoff field had been announced, it was reported that Alabama will finish off its season with a game against Michigan in the ReliaQuest Bowl. The game will be played on New Year's Eve in Tampa Bay.
Of course, that led to even more trolling.
Michigan-Alabama in the 2024 Rose Bowl vs. Michigan-Alabama in the 2024 ReliaQuest Bowl: https://t.co/zfnlPjS8av pic.twitter.com/OglzbcTPBz
— College Sports Only (@CollegeSportsO) December 8, 2024
Bama down BAD 🤣😂🤣😂
— JT (@JtDirtyBirdy) December 8, 2024
If you told me at the beginning of the year that Alabama beats UGA and Michigan beats OSU and will play a bowl game against each other I 100% would’ve thought it’s a playoff game
— Hunter (@Hunt__G) December 8, 2024
Not one shred of upside for Alabama in this game. Would have been better to decline and move on to next season.
— Michael Searcy (@MichaelSearcy) December 8, 2024
It will be interesting to see what Kalen DeBoer's team looks like by the time the bowl game takes place. We expect some opt-outs — as every school will likely have — but it will be intriguing to see how the Crimson Tide play in this game.
While there's not a lot at stake in terms of hardware, Alabama can still build some momentum towards 2025, when they will once again be one of the contenders for the playoff.