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Alabama's record, which included significant victories against ranked opponents, was weighed against SMU’s performance in their conference, where they maintained an undefeated status. Additionally, SMU suffered narrow losses to ranked teams while Alabama had defeats against unranked opponents. This complexity necessitated careful consideration, ultimately leading to a decision that ranked SMU higher than Alabama despite the latter's perceived strength of schedule.

Examining the Rankings Process

The debate extended beyond just these two teams; the committee also took time to assess other contenders, including Indiana. Manuel described a thorough review process, where each team's performance, games played, victories, and overall strength of schedule were critically analyzed.