Alabama fans are not happy with how SMU has performed so far in its first-round CFP game against Penn State. The Mustangs trail 28-0 at the half in State College.
SMU’s rough first half against Penn State is causing some fans and media to re-visit the decision to leave Alabama out of the College Football Playoff in favor of the Mustangs.
After narrowly losing to Clemson in the ACC Championship Game, SMU controversially earned the final at-large bid into the 12-team field over the Crimson Tide. SMU also made the cut over other teams such as Ole Miss, Miami and South Carolina.
The decision was largely supported at the time by college football fans and media at large, with a few notable exceptions such as Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin and Alabama athletic director Greg Byrne.
However, SMU’s lackluster performance in the first half vs. the Nittany Lions has caused some to reflect on the process of picking teams for the Playoff. Most suggestions revolve around prioritizing a strength-of-schedule metric rather than winning percentage.
Similar comments were made following Indiana’s similarly-poor performance against Notre Dame on Friday night in the opening game of the 12-team Playoff era. Kirk Herbstreit was particularly critical of the Hoosiers during College GameDay on Saturday morning.
SMU’s issues against Penn State have largely been on the offensive side of the ball. Quarterback Kevin Jennings threw 3 interceptions in the first half, including a pair of pick-6s. Those turnovers led to 21 points for the Nittany Lions. Defensively, SMU held Penn State to just over 5 yards per play in the first half.
In any event, it was a crushing first-half performance for a Mustangs team that had designs on advancing in this Playoff. Here’s some of the reaction relating to their selection — and Alabama’s exclusion — in the 12-team field:
With no divisions and 16- and 18-team leagues and no true, fair way to tell who the best teams are in their own conferences, there needs to be a better and stronger accountability and measure of SOS.
— Heather Dinich (@CFBHeather) December 21, 2024Alabama and Miami looking at SMU right now:pic.twitter.com/B9xqVoWWY3
— DraftKings (@DraftKings) December 21, 2024Indiana and SMU made the CFP. Alabama, Ole Miss and Miami did not.
— RJ Young (@RJ_Young) December 21, 2024I'd add – this is the team everyone is arguing "deserved" to be in the playoff.A team that went 1-3 in SEC road games this year.There is zero evidence outside of "they're Bama!" that Alabama would've actually performed better than Indiana/SMU in either of these games pic.twitter.com/UYqmBfRP3K
— Aaron Torres (@Aaron_Torres) December 21, 2024Alabama watching SMU get obliterated pic.twitter.com/ldT7LFr0td
— Hater Report (@HaterReport_) December 21, 2024Ole miss and Alabama should’ve been in the playoff over Indiana and smu im sorry pic.twitter.com/bMKhoFAeRS
— John (@iam_johnw) December 21, 2024SMU stinks. AND Alabama and Ole Miss fans crying makes no sense. Don’t lose to teams you had no business losing to for your THIRD loss of the season. Idk what to tell yall.
— Kayce Smith (@KayceSmith) December 21, 2024Let's all be honest. Deserving or not we'd rather see Alabama in these games. Indiana and SMU Stink
— Marty Mush (@martymush) December 21, 2024If you believe South Carolina, Alabama, and Ole Miss are not leaps and bounds better than SMU and Indiana. You absolutely do not know ball.
— Brent (@HJhughes79) December 21, 2024Bama fans “SMU is getting blown out, I can’t believe they got in over us”Also Alabama : pic.twitter.com/WdTKHu768s
— Cason ?⚡️ (@cason_douglas) December 21, 2024Alabama should have been in over SMU. It was obvious to anyone that watched football Honestly Miami, Ole Miss and South Carolina were better than Indiana as well. But it was hard to leave them out with 1 loss
— Matt Jones (@KySportsRadio) December 21, 2024SMU COULD LOSE BY 60 AND IT WON’T CHANGE THE FACT THAT ALABAMA DIDN’T DESERVE TO BE IN
— H?mer ? (@OregonHomer) December 21, 2024Two games into the first ever College Football Playoff and I already have a hot take to fire off: Make strength of schedule the first metric for eligibility. Indiana & SMU are only in this because they lost less games than other teams. Reward the scheduling.
— Curt Cramer (@CPCramo) December 21, 2024“Man Indiana looks SO bad, they have to consider strength of schedule” pic.twitter.com/ltMaOihTEL
— Jaret Bates (@jaretbates) December 21, 2024Alabama fans, media bash SMU’s inclusion in CFP after disaster half vs. Penn State Saturday Down South.
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