Saban touts Bama's 3-0 finish as case for CFP

With Alabama's College Football Playoff aboriginal successful limbo, manager Nick Saban said connected Saturday that determination was an statement for his squad to beryllium included among the apical 4 and framed the statement implicit who's successful and who's retired with a azygous question: How are they playing astatine present?

The question lends itself to Alabama's defense, of course. The Crimson Tide, ranked No. 6 by the College Football Playoff Selection Committee past week, person 2 losses but finished the regular play with 3 consecutive wins.

Ohio State, ranked No. 5, has lone 1 loss. But that nonaccomplishment -- a 45-23 decision astatine location to rival Michigan -- came connected the last play of the regular season.

When No. 4 USC mislaid to No. 11 Utah successful the Pac 12 title crippled connected Friday, it apt opened up a spot among the apical four.

No. 3 TCU suffered its archetypal nonaccomplishment of the play to Kansas State successful the Big 12 title crippled connected Saturday.

Appearing connected ESPN's "The College Football Show" connected Saturday, Saban said his squad started retired the play beardown but was impacted by an wounded to backmost Bryce Young during an Oct. 1 triumph astatine Arkansas.

Young, who injured his throwing shoulder, didn't play the pursuing week successful a 24-20 triumph against Texas A&M. He returned and Alabama mislaid connected a walk-off tract extremity astatine Tennessee.

But Saban said that adjacent erstwhile Young returned to enactment helium wasn't wholly healthy. The erstwhile Heisman Trophy victor was constricted successful signifier and was kept connected a transportation count. Saban argued that it hindered his team's development.

Three weeks aft losing to Tennessee, Alabama went connected the roadworthy to LSU and mislaid successful overtime. Alabama bounced backmost to bushed Ole Miss, Austin Peay and Auburn to extremity the regular play 10-2.

"I deliberation our squad played good down the agelong and are playing good astatine present," Saban said.

Saban pointed retired however some of the Tide's losses were against teams that were ranked successful the apical 10 astatine the time.

"We mislaid 2 games connected the roadworthy to 1 top-five team, 1 top-10 squad connected the past play of the game," helium said. "But present that [Young is] healthier and he's capable to practice, I deliberation we're a antithetic team, and I deliberation you should look astatine the circumstances astir a two-loss squad versus a one-loss squad and however are they playing astatine the extremity of the season? How are they playing astatine the present?"

Saban said helium wanted to adhd different space to the statement implicit who gets successful and who is near out. He said it should beryllium asked if they were playing different team, "would they beryllium underdogs?"

"I conjecture I would inquire the question: If we played these teams successful question, would we beryllium underdogs successful the crippled oregon not?" helium said. "That should reply everybody's questions comparative to who the champion teams are astatine present. That's however this should play out."