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The final College Football Playoff rankings were unveiled on Sunday and the 12-team postseason field has officially been set. One notable name was visibly absent after that release.
Alabama will not compete for a national championship this season after wrapping up its year at 9-3. Auburn fans took solace in knowing that one of their own had a hand in the omission.
Rhett Lashlee worked as the Tigers’ offensive coordinator under Gus Malzahn. He’s since landed the head coaching gig at SMU. The Mustangs fell in the ACC Championship game to Clemson on Saturday, but they remained in the 12-team field come Sunday.
The previous week’s rankings showed Alabama as the final team in the playoff field. After Clemson’s upset of SMU, that changed. The Tigers secured an auto bid with the win, while the committee chose not to punish the Mustangs for playing in a conference title game. The final two playoff spots went to the ACC foes. The Crimson Tide was left out!
Some members of the #Auburn student section start cheering “SMU” as the bracket gets announced. pic.twitter.com/fEUBfDGBzp
— Matthew Wallace (@mattwallaceAU) December 8, 2024
After hearing that omission, Auburn fans celebrated. “SMU” chants could be heard echoing throughout Neville Arena as the Tigers battled Richmond on the hardwood. The rivalry never dies!
Auburn is ecstatic at the fact that they won’t have to watch Alabama play for another national title. Having a former staff member steal that final bid from the Crimson Tide was icing on the cake!