The College Football Playoff selection committee’s decision was going to be met with controversy no matter what on Sunday when it came down to selecting SMU over Alabama.
Shortly after the reveal, the chairman of the CFP Warde Manuel, jumped on ESPN to explain the reasoning behind leaving the Crimson Tide out, while also sharing that it understood the value of strength of schedule.
The second part of his statement did not sit well with many, including Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin who emphatically reacted to the quote on X.
The comment rang hollow to some as the Mustangs had the 60th ranked strength of schedule when compared to Alabama’s 16th ranked according to FPI.