As the College Football Playoff Selection Committee unveiled the first-ever 12-team bracket, debates ignited like a wildfire. Questions about inclusivity, seeding, and legacy teams dominated headlines. Chief among the controversy? The decision to include Southern Methodist University (SMU) at the expense of Alabama and other SEC teams. But let’s cut through the noise. When you peel back the layers, the committee nailed it. Here’s why.
NCAA.com
Winning Matters
At the heart of the CFP lies one unshakable truth: winning matters. SMU didn’t just stumble into the playoff by accident. They earned it. A sparkling 11-2 record, capped off with an ACC Championship berth, screamed legitimacy to me. They dominated their conference and only lost one regular season game to a ranked BYU. Meanwhile, Alabama—yes, the longtime powerhouse—sits with three losses (Vanderbilt (6-6), Tennessee (10-2), and Oklahoma (6-6)). In a sport that thrives on the razor-thin margins between greatness and “what could’ve been,” those three blemishes sealed their fate.
The committee sent a clear message: dominate your schedule, win meaningful games, and you’ll be rewarded. This isn’t a participation trophy. It’s about execution when it matters most, and SMU did that better than Alabama this season. Sorry not sorry.
Conference Championships are the Currency
With the expanded 12-team playoff, the value of a conference championship is at an all-time high, despite what Lane Kiffin and the SEC might tell you. The top four champions earn coveted first-round byes, and the rest of the bracket leans heavily toward those who perform on championship weekend. SMU’s ticket? Punched by their success in conference play. Alabama didn’t even qualify for their own title game, finishing tied for 4th with six other teams.
If the committee had looked the other way, it would have devalued the hard work of every program outside the SEC. This format demands respect for conference crowns across the board, and rightfully so. It’s no longer just the SEC Invitational. It’s a college football playoff in the truest sense.
The Beauty of Representation
Critics of SMU’s inclusion argue that they aren’t "Alabama." Exactly. That’s the point. Expanding to 12 teams isn’t about rehashing the same faces at the party every year. It’s about giving new blood a seat at the table. SMU represents the grit and grind of programs outside the Power Five spotlight, clawing for their moment. Including them over a traditional blue blood highlights the beauty of this format: you don’t have to be a legacy to matter—you just have to win.
By including SMU, the CFP committee isn’t pandering to underdogs; they’re rewarding performance. It’s a precedent that every coach in America can sell to their locker room: “If we take care of business, we’ll get our shot.”
A System Built to Grow
Could Alabama hang with the top teams? Probably. Never mind. Absolutely they could. But does that mean they deserve to leapfrog more deserving programs? Absolutely not. This is the strength of the 12-team format. It creates a postseason where meritocracy reigns. Legacy, reputations, and "eye tests" are being replaced with hard data: wins, losses, and the context of how those came about.
The beauty of the playoff expansion isn’t just its inclusivity—it’s how it levels the playing field. As more programs compete, recruit, and build with the playoff in mind, the gap between the legacy powers and the rest of the field will shrink. This year’s bracket reflects the growing parity of college football. It’s no longer enough to rely on name-brand recognition. You’ve got to prove it on the field.
Final Thoughts
In the end, the inaugural 12-team playoff bracket does exactly what it was designed to do: reward performance, celebrate champions, and give every deserving team a shot. SMU is in because they belong. Alabama is out because, this year, they didn’t do enough. The inclusion of Alabama would also lead to controversy over leaving out teams like Ole Miss and South Carolina who had similar resumes as Alabama.
The future of college football is wide open. Programs like SMU, Arizona State, Boise State, and Indiana have the chance to prove they can hang, and if they can’t, there’s always next year. For the rest of us? It’s time to buckle up and enjoy what promises to be the most exciting postseason in college football history. The committee nailed it—and the game is better for it.
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