Alabama Awarded All Four Spots in College Football Playoff

By Mike Range

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - The College Football Playoff Selection Committee made history Sunday afternoon when it awarded all four playoff spots to the University of Alabama Crimson Tide.

Football fans knew the final weekend of the regular season could very well throw college football’s rankings into chaos, but few foresaw the committee’s historic decision to rank one school in the top four positions.

“It’s come to our attention that a handful of schools foolishly believed they were worthy of playing for the national championship,” said Committee Chairman Boo Corrigan. “But after weighing everyone’s resume, it was a no-brainer to select ‘Bama to fill all four slots.”

As to what criteria vaulted Alabama from #8 last week to monopolizing the top four, Corrigan was effusive in promoting the Crimson Tide’s complete body of work.

“Sure, Alabama lost to Texas head-to-head — some might say handily — but that was months ago. This is a completely different Alabama team now, except for having the same players, coach, and complete identity,” Corrigan said. “Since that loss, Alabama has rebounded to produce some very impressive SEC victories, including a six-point win over 4–4 Texas A&M, a three-point win over 1–7 Arkansas, a last-minute, three-point win over 3–5 Auburn.”

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Corrigan also alluded to their non-conference schedule.

“Also, I’m not sure you realize that Alabama — after scoring in the final minute — beat South Florida by two touchdowns, and it’s not just anyone who can do that to the American Athletic Conference’s fifth-place team. All of that made our decision pretty easy.”

While Michigan, Washington, and Florida State all ended the season undefeated, putting any of them in the playoffs was not a serious consideration for the committee.

“They may have won all their games, but take a look under the hood and you see why we had to disregard these programs,” Corrigan said. “Michigan had a cheating issue, Washington played in a conference running a season-long going-out-of-business sale, and while Florida State is the first undefeated Power Five school to ever be left out of the playoffs, they have only themselves to blame for the careless institutional misstep of allowing a football player to get injured.”

The highly anticipated playoff showdowns will see number-one-ranked Alabama senior and freshman even-numbered jerseys facing their number-four-ranked odd-numbered counterparts in the Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day, followed by the sophomore/junior squads squaring off in the Sugar Bowl, for the right to play in the National Alabama Game and be crowned the Alabamaiest team in the country.

End of the Bench will have more as soon as this story Rolls Tide.

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