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TCU’s loss gets Tide a last look, but Frogs should make CFP

TCU's loss gets Tide a last look, but Frogs should make CFP

Alabama is going to get one last look from the College Football Playoff selection committee.

Whether the Crimson Tide deserves it is debatable, at best, but after both TCU (12-1) and Southern California (11-2) lost the committee has to at least talk about making Alabama (10-2) the first team with two losses to make the playoff.

Tide coach Nick Saban, without a game to play, spent his Saturday making a media tour and lobbying for his team.

“If we played any of those teams that are on the edge of getting in, would we be the underdogs or the favorite?” Saban said on Fox at halftime of the Big Ten championship.

The field of four will be announced Sunday.

Defending champion Georgia (13-0) will be No. 1 after the Bulldogs won the Southeastern Conference — emphatically. No debate about that.

TCU coach Sonny Dykes said he was concerned about the Horned Frogs’ playoff status, but that he had faith in the committee.

“I think we’re certainly deserving,” Dykes said.

He is right, but the top four didn’t fall gently into place on championship weekend.

No. 4 USC’s loss to Friday to No. 12 Utah in the Pac-12 championship pretty much ended the Trojans’ playoff hopes.

That was huge news for No. 5 Ohio State and coach Ryan Day.

“You’re welcome, Coach Day,” Utah’s Kyle Whittingham said.

A week after the Buckeyes (11-1) were thumped at home by No. 2 Michigan, fans in Columbus were glued to the events in Las Vegas and got the result they needed — and maybe a rematch with the Wolverines in their future.

Michigan (13-0) stomped Purdue on Saturday night on the way to a second consecutive Big Ten championship.

Championship Saturday started with the third-ranked Horned Frogs falling to No. 13 Kansas State in the Big 12 title game. As has been the case all year, it was a wild ride for the Hypnotoads. They erased an 11-point deficit in the fourth-quarter behind a heroic effort by Max Duggan before losing in overtime.

The Frogs headed to the clubhouse having beat every team they have played, with plenty of close calls and comebacks, but no conference championship.

There is precedent for unbeaten teams losing their conference title games and remaining in the top four. Georgia was No. 1 when it happened last year against Alabama and fell to No. 3.

In 2020, Notre Dame lost a rematch with Clemson in the Atlantic Coast Conference title game and went from No. 2 to No. 4.

There is no previous case to support Alabama making the playoff under these circumstances, but this system…

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