The selection committee preferred the Mustangs (11-2), losers of a heartbreaker in the Atlantic Coast Conference title game, who had a far less difficult schedule than Alabama (9-3) of the SEC but, ultimately, still one fewer loss. The Crimson Tide have won the CFP times since the format was introduced in 2014, most recently in the 2020 season. The first-of-its-kind 12-team bracket marks a new era for college football.