Did the College Football Playoff Committee just put the final nail in Alabama’s playoff coffin? With only one spot left in the 12-team playoff, all eyes were on the Crimson Tide and SMU Mustangs. But when the committee gave the nod to SMU over Bama, Greg Byrne, Alabama’s athletic director, didn’t hold back. From blasting their “strength of schedule” bias to questioning the very integrity of the process, Byrne’s frustration spilled over onto social media. So, did Bama really get robbed, or is this just a classic case of sour grapes?

Alabama’s Greg Byrne wasted no time taking to Twitter to defend his squad, painting the playoff committee’s decision as unjust. “Disappointed with the outcome and felt we were one of the 12 best teams in the country,” Byrne wrote. He highlighted the Tide’s brutal schedule, claiming it should’ve given them the edge over SMU, who had just fallen in the ACC title game. Byrne didn’t mince words about Alabama’s shortcomings, acknowledging, “There were two games in particular that we did not perform as well as we should have.” But he doubled down on his belief that Alabama’s body of work deserved more respect.

Byrne went further, suggesting the committee’s emphasis on “strength of schedule” might force Alabama to rethink its non-conference game strategy. “We will need to assess how many P4 non-conference games make sense in the future to put us in the best position to participate in the CFP. That is not good for college football,” Greg added. Lol. In a simple summary of Greg’s tweet, how did SMU edge out Alabama for a playoff spot? The Crimson Tide faced one of the toughest schedules in the country, and while they had a couple of slip-ups, their overall body of work seemed playoff-worthy. This raises questions about how much weight the CFP committee truly places on the strength of schedule.

Does playing tougher opponents still matter, or are teams better off taking an easier path to secure wins? Greg’s simply doing his job as athletic director. Deep down, even Greg knows Alabama should not be in the playoff convo itself. Ole Miss has a better case and all the ‘receipts’ that scream playoff over Bama. Now, Greg Bryne needs to stop moaning and get his bama boys ready for the ReliaQuest Bowl game against the Michigan Wolverines.

Did Greg Byrne’s Alabama deserve the playoff spot over SMU?

Well, Bama does not deserve over the Mustangs. But didn’t break it down, though. Here’s the deal: SMU may have lost 34-31 to Clemson in the ACC Championship, but let’s not act like they didn’t show up. That game was a nail-biter to the very last second, and SMU proved its playoff worth with an 11-2 record. Sure, Alabama had a tougher schedule on paper, but let’s not forget their 9-3 record includes two absolutely brutal losses—one to a 6-6 Vanderbilt squad and another to a Sooners team that’s as mediocre as it gets this year. The strength of schedule might be important, but you gotta win the games that matter, and Bama just didn’t. It’s simple.

To make a strong playoff push, Alabama had one simple task—avoid losing to average 6-6 teams like Vanderbilt and Oklahoma. Losing to those teams by wide margins doesn’t scream “playoff caliber.” Meanwhile, SMU took their losses to ranked squads and still managed to reach their conference championship.

SMU’s performance had analysts like Chris Vannini backing them over Bama in this playoff-drama. “Clemson is in. SMU should be in. A 3-loss Alabama team with two losses to 6-6 teams should not be in. That’s my take.” Bama fans might hate to hear this, but the committee didn’t fumble this one. SMU earned their spot fair and square. As for Alabama and Kalen DeBoer, it’s time to regroup and figure out how not to trip over unranked teams next season.

Alabama’s exclusion from the playoff might sting, but the numbers don’t lie. SMU played like champions, even in defeat, while Alabama fell flat when it mattered most. Greg Byrne’s frustration is understandable, but the Tide simply didn’t deliver a playoff-worthy season. With a matchup against Michigan in the ReliaQuest Bowl, it’s time for Alabama to prove they’re better than this season’s record shows.