Alabama Crimson Tide: How The Playoff Committee Awoke A Sleeping Giant
Jan 20, 2018; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban speaks to the crowd at the Alabama Crimson Tide National Championship Celebration at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports
The College Football Playoff Committee made a huge error last season. Many expected Alabama Crimson Tide to fall out of the top 4, but as luck would have it, they got another shot after their loss to Auburn. When the top 4 were announced, CFB fans drew a line in the sand. On one side, there were the Tide supporters. And on the other side, there stood the doubters. Who was right?
Looking back, that was that was beginning to what we have witnessed so far this year.
[BXAds]What makes college football so appealing is that one loss and that could be the end of your season. When Alabama fell, the college scene rejoiced. There would be no more dominance from Nick Saban and his crew. But how could the Committee keep them out? This was bigger than tradition, money or anything else. They deserved the right to play in the Final Four. Although they lost to Auburn, that could be considered a fluke and Bama’s body of work that season easily outweighed what Auburn did.
Then you had those UCF followers who wanted more from their undefeated team. Sorry, but their body of work was reminiscent of a Varsity team taking advantage of JV teams all season. The only logical choice of one-loss schools was Alabama Crimson Tide.
The problem with that was, everyone was scared. How did it turn out? Exactly how the Playoff Committee wanted it to. Bama walked away as National Champions and well, lets’ just say that opened the floodgates. You know the old saying “Never wake a sleeping giant”.
As the 2018 regular season gets ready to close, guess who’s still in the No. 1 position in the country? Ever since they were giving another chance, all Bama has done is beat Clemson (No.1) and then Georgia (No.3) in the playoffs to win the title. But it doesn’t stop there. This season has been nothing short of remarkable. No loses and in those wins, they have managed to defeat ranked teams while scoring 50 or more points seven times.
This is not what football fans wanted. They didn’t want Saban to be poised for another undefeated season, but honestly, who can beat them? To some, all this could have been avoided if the Playoff Committee chose to bypass them and pick another. While schools like Clemson, Notre Dame, and Michigan all have a shot this year, it’s Bama’s title to lose.
Last year they were on the ropes. Destined to start the new season ranked 5th or lower if they missed the playoffs. The Committee gave them a chance and with the doubters yelling at the top of their lungs, they waited for teams to beat them. No such luck. So why should they hold their breathe for that to happen again?
Alabama Crimson Tide is riding a wave of success thanks to the Playoff Committee. There’s no need for fans to hate their decision. The Committee did their job. Alabama did their job. It was the other schools who have failed to hold up their end of the deal. It’s simple. You hate Bama, then beat them. So far, that’s proven to be impossible. This is the season the Playoff Committee wanted. They wanted Nick Saban to prove that they made the right choice last year.
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Mark has been covering Sports and Entertainment for the past six years. His work has been featured on Bleacher Report, ESPN, Fox Sports, Teen Vogue, and many other websites.
