The College Football Playoff brackets were announced last Sunday, and to be honest, only three teams should be upset about it.

The Alabama Crimson Tide (9-3) had a legitimate beef with the second hardest Strength of Schedule in all of football, wins over Georgia and South Carolina, the fact that they play in the SEC, and of course, the obvious.

They’re Alabama.

The Miami Hurricanes (10-2) had a gripe as well. They have a Heisman quality quarterback, only two close losses to Georgia Tech and Syracuse, and both losses came on the road.

And the Army Black Knights (11-1). Okay, maybe they didn’t beat anyone good, and they lost to Notre Dame 49-14. But give them a break. They only have one loss, and instead of heading off to the College Football Playoffs to take on some top ranked powerhouse, they’re probably heading off to Afghanistan sometime soon.

• In the both things can be true at the same time category – Alabama is one of the 12 best teams in college football, and they didn’t deserve to be in the College Football Playoffs.

• For the committee, I’m pretty sure Strength of Schedule was a priority. Georgia’s quality wins over Texas, Tennessee’s quality win over Alabama, and SMU’s quality win over the Houston Christian Huskies.

• Here’s what I would do. I would schedule Miami (of Ohio), Texas (State), Oregon (State), and Georgia (Southern). Then see if the committee notices the fine print.

• For the Crimson Tide, good wins are terrific, but bad losses count. Losing to Tennessee doesn’t hurt too bad. Losing to Oklahoma (6-6) by a score of 23-3 does. It’s like being an MVP player like Nikola Jokic, scoring 104 points, grabbing 30 rebounds, and dishing out 16 assists over his last two games – and still losing to the Washington Wizards.

• And don’t cry at me that Alabama would be better off leaving the SEC so they could Roll Tide in the Mountain West. The average SEC football team makes about $53 million dollars for their university per season. The average Mountain West team makes about ten bucks – not including the 50% off coupon they get for Chipotle every Taco Tuesday.

• I’m just glad that Strength of Schedule is just a college thing. The Denver Broncos (8-5) have just one win against a team with a winning record (Tampa Bay (7-6)). If this were college, instead of the playoffs, they’d be preparing for the Boca Raton Bowl on some random Wednesday before Christmas.

• Alabama needs to recognize that you can’t just choose the easier path and still get paid – unless you’re Notre Dame…or Juan Soto.

Credit via Bleacher Report

• Don’t get me wrong. Juan Soto is great. But I’m not taking my kid to the ballpark at today’s ticket prices to watch a guy walk three times.

• $50 million to see a guy walk a lot while his team plays .500 ball. Who does he think he is? James Harden?

• I mean, Shohei Ohtani’s contract was ridiculous enough – but at least he can throw a curve ball every few years.

• Back to college football – with realignment, does it really matter that Alabama played in the SEC? You could argue that a Big 12 team (Texas) is the best in the SEC, a PAC-12 team (Arizona State) is the best in the Big 12, an Independent (Notre Dame) is the best in the ACC, and the former PAC-12 and current Big Ten champion (Oregon) is the best in all of football. Not sure the conference matters anymore.

Credit via The Crimson White

• Instead of the College Football Playoffs, Alabama is stuck playing in the Reliaquest Bowl in Tampa, Florida on December 31. Based on Pro Days and the Transfer Portal, I’m guessing most of the players will be Reliaquesting not to play in that game.

• Miami didn’t fare much better. Instead of the College Football Playoffs, the Hurricanes are playing in the Pop-Tarts Bowl. Sounds about right. I’d be getting toasted right now if I was a Canes fan.

• Look, it shouldn’t surprise you that Juan Soto took a few more dollars to walk away from the Yankees, that Deion Sanders ends up at Florida State, that Travis and Shadeur end up sitting out their bowl game, or that all of your kid’s 529 plan is now in Dogecoin. Life is full of business decisions.

Credit via Instagram

• Speaking of Travis Hunter, I have him winning the Heisman Trophy. No offense to Ashton Jeanty, but some guy named Kevin Smith (2007) rushed for more yards playing for University of Central Florida. No one has done what Hunter’s done.

• Besides, voting for the Heisman takes place before the bowl games – so they won’t take into consideration if Jeanty rushes for 300 yards against Penn State, or if Travis Hunter gets a cramp waving a towel on the sidelines of the Alamo Bowl.

Credit via Athlon Sports

• I’m just kidding. Deion says that Hunter and Shadeur are playing, and he’s a man of his word. But those two will get yanked so fast – you’ll think it’s an NFL Preseason game.

• Apparently, Deion wants the Raiders to draft both Shadeur Sanders, and his brother Shilo. And they said the Las Vegas Sands was no more.

• How Ironic that Shadeur and Shilo could go from being a Buff – to seeing dancers in it.

• The most confusing aspect of the entire College Bowl System – How does a lousy team like Liberty end up in the Bahamas, while a great team like Tennessee has to travel to the middle of Ohio in late December?

• An all-expense paid trip to the Bahamas while most of the country freezes its butt off. That’s what I call a Strength of Schedule.

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Alan Tapley The Athletic Supporter

Alan Tapley is an educator, author, and blogger who has lived just outside of Boulder for the last twenty years.  His published work includes two novels, two children’s books, a series of cartoons in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, and multiple sports related articles. His love for family and the state of Colorado is only matched by one thing, his passion for sports.  The first baseball game he ever attended was at Wrigley Field, before there were lights.  At the final Bronco game at the old Mile High, he allegedly cut out a piece of his seat in the South stands.  But regardless of being here for the Avalanche’s last Stanley Cup, the Rockies only World Series appearance, and all the Broncos’ Super Bowl Victories, his wife never fails to remind him that he wasn’t at the University of Colorado in 1990, like she was.  The year the Buffs football team won the National Championship