Alabama LB takes the blame for Crimson Tide's abysmal miss
Junior Alabama Crimson Tide linebacker Jihaad Campbell took the blame after the team was left off the College Football Playoff field. Campbell refused to attack the CFP committe and instead pointed at the Tide’s inability to win down the stretch, as On3’s Blake Byler reported after Thursday’s practice.
“It’s on us, we all know that. A lot of people, they wanna put it on the committee or whatever. But during the season and stuff like that, we didn't do what we were supposed to do. We were being inconsistent, really. We gave the committee a decision to make about us”, Campbell said.
Alabama’s exclusion from the College Football Playoff field was controversial. After Clemson defeated SMU in the ACC Championship game, it came down to which team would be ranked higher between the Mustangs or the Crimson Tide.
The Crimson Tide (9-3, 5-3 in the SEC) had a tougher schedule and quality wins over ranked opponents Georgia, Tennessee, and LSU. However, they dropped a couple of games to subpar opponents in Vanderbilt and Oklahoma.
Before beating Bama, the Sooners had won one game against a Power 4 team. Alabama losing that game by three scores didn't help matters.
SMU (11-2, 8-0 in the ACC) finished the regular season with only one loss and fell in a close ACC Championship game versus Clemson. However, they didn’t win a game against a CFP-ranked team.
The CFP ranked the Mustangs at No. 10, just above Alabama, giving SMU the final playoff spot. Alabama will head to the ReliaQuest Bowl instead.
While the Crimson Tide missed out on the College Football Playoff, they will face a familiar foe. Alabama will play the Michigan Wolverines in Tampa Bay on Dec. 31. The Wolverines beat Alabama last year at the Rose Bowl, which was also a CFP semifinal.
In that game, the Wolverines came back from a late deficit to win 27-20 in overtime. The Crimson Tide held a seven-point lead with just over 90 seconds left to play.
The Crimson Tide will have most of their stars on the field for the ReliaQuest Bowl. Campbell was among the players who confirmed their participation.
“I’m playing. Hell yeah, I’m playing… I didn’t even think about that. I want to play with my brothers, it’s another opportunity to showcase my talents, and everybody else to showcase their talents and all the hard work they put in”, Campbell said.
Besides the linebacker, quarterback Jalen Milroe and cornerback Domani Jackson have acknowledged their intention to play. All three are considered among the top prospects at their positions for the NFL draft.