Former Alabama head coach Nick Saban took issue with the College Football Playoff (CFP) committee’s ranking and seeding for the 12-team bracket, saying that strength of schedule was not a true factor in the selection process. Despite having a strong schedule, Alabama was left out of the bracket while SMU was included.
Saban suggested that scheduling tough opponents may not have a benefit if strength of schedule is not taken into consideration. He pointed to Alabama’s upcoming games against Notre Dame, Ohio State, Wisconsin, and Florida State, and wondered why athletic directors would bother to schedule such games if there is no benefit to being ranked highly.
However, Saban did acknowledge that the 12 best teams in college football were represented in the bracket. He also emphasized that coaches had controlled their own destiny and had opportunities to improve their circumstances.
Alabama athletics director Greg Byrne had previously mentioned that the Crimson Tide’s strength of schedule was strong, citing their opponents’ winning percentage and three wins against teams in the CFP poll. Saban’s comments sparked debate on the importance of strength of schedule in college football’s playoff selection process.