There have been five College Football Playoffs. Alabama has been in all of them, reaching four title games and winning two national championships.
Only twice was Alabama unbeaten when the playoff committee selected it to the four-team field. The three other times, it had a loss. In 2017, the Tide didn’t even win the SEC West and still got picked at 11-1.
That’s the margin for error Alabama enjoys/earned/deserves.
Only it may not exist this year.
The 8-0, third-ranked Crimson Tide host the 8-0, second-ranked LSU Tigers on Saturday in Tuscaloosa.