DeBoer: SEC blowout shouldn't take away from Alabama resume

Alabama's final chance to impress the College Football Playoff committee was a disaster Saturday, with Georgia blowing out the Crimson Tide 28-7 in an emphatic win.

That hands the Tide their third loss on the season and puts the onus on the committee to make a decision on how it will handle conference title-game losers.

Should Alabama be punished for its performance in a 13th game of the season when the other teams on the bubble didn't qualify for their conference title game?

Kalen DeBoer doesn't think so.

"If this game applies to and takes away from our resume, I don't think that's right. I really don't. I think the precedent has been set," the second-year coach said postgame, according to Nick Kelly of AL.com. "I don't know how you can go into a conference playoff game when you're the No. 1 seed and did all these things throughout the year and playing in this game, against one of the top teams in the country as well, how that can hurt you and keep you out of the playoff when we've done what we have done all year."

The precedent he's talking about is from last season where Penn State, SMU, and Texas all remained in the CFP field despite losses in their conference title games. It was never really in question that the Nittany Lions or Longhorns wouldn't make the field, but the Mustangs certainly had a nervous Selection Sunday.

Ultimately SMU would make the field, but its loss was by a field goal to Clemson in the ACC title game - a far cry from a 21-point blowout that Alabama suffered Saturday.

Outside of the stunning season-opening loss to Florida State, the Crimson Tide's resume is solid with a number of strong wins. However, the majority of those came earlier in the season and the team has struggled to separate down the stretch.

Will that ultimately be the downfall for the Tide, or are they still securely in the field?

We will find out Sunday at noon.