Is Bama still a good bet to make the college football playoff?

For the first time in ten years, college football is altering its method for determining the champion. The playoff field will increase from four to 12 teams. The 13-member selection committee will still be in charge, and its primary goal remains unchanged, as stated by the College Football Playoff: "The selection committee's task will be to select the best teams, rank the teams for inclusion in the playoff and assign the teams to the playoff sites." The 13-member committee will still issue its weekly top 25, which will be used to determine the highest-ranked conference champs. Who is on the committee? There are six former coaches and players in the group, six sitting athletic directors representing seven conferences (including one from each Power 4 league) and one former sportswriter: Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel (committee chair) Former Nevada coach Chris Ault Navy athletic director Chet Gladchuk Former Wake Forest coach Jim Grobe Miami (Ohio) athletic director David Sayler Former sportswriter Kelly Whiteside Former All-American Nebraska lineman Will Shields Former Toledo and Missouri coach Gary Pinkel Baylor athletic director Mack Rhoades Virginia athletic director Carla Williams Arkansas athletic director Hunter Yurachek Former Oregon State and Nebraska coach Mike Riley Former Arizona State All-American guard Randall McDaniel The Projected CFP Rankings (Projected) Oregon Georgia Boise State Arizona State Notre Dame Penn State Texas Ohio State Tennessee Indiana Alabama/SMU Clemson Alabama vs. SMU This is where it gets interesting as the CFP committee ranked SMU ahead of Alabama prior to conference championship weekend. Was SMU's loss to Clemson in the ACC Championship game enough to eliminate them from the playoff? SMU was ranked ahead of Alabama prior to this week which could be why oddsmakers are still favoring SMU as the team that gets in over Alabama. While it may not seem fair to SMU, it's very difficult to imagine the committee rewarding two ACC teams in this situation. SMU's resume is not as strong as their 11-2 record would indicate. Unfortunately for ACC commissioner Jim Phillips, I expect No. 8 SMU to fall out of the CFP race following a tough 34-31 loss to Clemson in the ACC Championship Game. I predict the Mustangs will fall behind the Crimson Tide, and that alone will be enough to keep them out of the playoff picture. There will be accusations of SEC-bias once this move is made. However, when you look at the committee there is only one member that has ties to the SEC. Once the committee lines up the season-long resumés of both Alabama and SMU, I believe they will give the nod to Alabama as the final at-large berth. https://dicecitysports.com/2024/12/07/bets-best-picks-for-clemson-tigers-vs-smu-mustangs/ Dice City Sports — where we provide premium, exclusive, up-to-date news and analysis surrounding the Las Vegas sports scene. Follow along on social media, and check back for new articles daily! Tony Reyes is a sports betting analyst and reporter for Dice City Sports. You can follow him on X @TonyParlay.