Alabama made the College Football Playoff primarily because the committee valued its overall résumé, strength of schedule, and quality wins more than those of the teams competing with it for the final at-large spots. Even with three losses and a lopsided SEC title game defeat to Georgia, Alabama’s full body of work stacked up better in the committee’s metrics than several conference champions and at-large contenders.

Committee’s stated reasons

The selection committee chair pointed to Alabama’s “body of work” over the first 12 games, emphasizing that one bad performance in the SEC Championship Game did not outweigh what the team had already accomplished. In their view, Alabama had been consistently ranked in the top 10 all season and passed the eye test as one of the nation’s better teams despite the final loss.

Strength of schedule and metrics

Alabama’s strength of schedule and advanced metrics (efficiency, strength of record, game control) were among the best of any team outside the very top of the rankings. In several major categories, only a few teams such as Oregon, Ohio State, and Indiana graded out clearly better across the board, which helped justify Alabama’s seeding inside the 12‑team field.

Quality wins and SEC respect

Alabama owned multiple top‑25 wins, including a road victory at Georgia that snapped the Bulldogs’ long home winning streak, which the committee viewed as one of the best wins of the entire season. The SEC’s reputation as the deepest league and the expectation that it would place several teams in the playoff also bolstered Alabama’s case over similarly ranked programs from other conferences.

Why they didn’t drop out

Despite losing 28–7 to Georgia, Alabama did not move down from No. 9 because the committee did not see enough compelling candidates behind them with stronger overall résumés. That stability in the rankings effectively protected Alabama’s position and ensured a first‑round matchup against Oklahoma as the No. 9 seed in the 12‑team bracket.