Overview

• The College Football Playoff (CFP) selection process faced its first-ever leak, revealing SMU's selection over Alabama before ESPN's official broadcast.
• CFP director Rich Clark expressed anger over the breach, calling it a betrayal of the process and announcing an investigation to identify the source.
• The decision to include SMU over Alabama sparked widespread debate, with critics questioning the committee's adherence to its stated criteria.
• SMU was chosen despite losing the ACC Championship Game, while Alabama, with a stronger schedule but three losses, was left out of the 12-team playoff field.
• Fox analyst Joel Klatt accused the committee of manipulating its process to prioritize SMU, raising concerns about the playoff's integrity and transparency.