The committee made it clear.
Miami’s (FL) two losses are an eliminator, and the Canes have no pathway to the College Football Playoff. The committee valued Alabama’s quality wins over its three losses and the Canes’ wins.
The only possibility for the ACC to get two teams in is a Clemson win. Then, the ACC would have to hope that the committee would bump Alabama out and put SMU in.
Clemson is only a 2.5-point underdog against SMU. No one would be surprised if Coach Dabo pulled off a win with his anti-NIL, I-don’t-take-transfers stance. But if the Tigers did their part, would the Mustangs be treated “fairly”?
It’s a tricky question to answer. If Alabama’s wins are valued so much higher than its three losses, despite two losses coming to Vanderbilt and Oklahoma, how does SMU get the nod?
The Mustangs haven’t had a signature win all season. It’s just how the schedule played out, but if we value getting to the conference title game and quality wins, SMU deserves to be in over a team like Indiana, and the Hoosiers are a lock.
It’s why the committee’s only choice is to remove Alabama if Clemson wins the ACC title game.
It will the ACC what they deserve… two playoff teams.
