Hurts mum on whether Monday’s game will be his last at Alabama
Was Monday’s College Football Playoff National Championship Game the last game for Alabama quarterback Jalen Hurts? If it is, he isn’t saying. Hurts, who lost the starting job to Heisman Trophy runner-up Tua Tagovailoa this season, is widely expected to transfer, though according to a story on Al.com he has not submitted his name into the NCAA transfer portal. Hurts’ father last spring proclaimed his son the “biggest free agent in college football history” during the battle with Tagovailoa to be Alabama’s starting quarterback.
Asked at Saturday’s College Football Playoff media day by Sports Illustrated about possibly leaving Bama, Hurts said: “That doesn’t have anything to do with Clemson, so I don’t know what to say.” Asked a similar question later by another reporter, Hurts smiled and walked away.
Hurts, 26-2 as a starter, came off the bench in December for an injured Tagovailoa in the SEC Championship Game in Atlanta, throwing and running for a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns in the Crimson Tide’s 35-28 comeback victory over Georgia.
Sankey okay with CFP choice
SEC commissioner Greg Sankey said Sunday he believed Georgia deserved a shot at the CFP semifinals even after the loss to Alabama but could live with the Bulldogs being left out.
“I felt they merited consideration as a top-four team,” Sankey said. “But I respect the committee’s decision.”
Georgia went to the Sugar Bowl instead and lost 28-21 to Texas.
Sankey, the other FBS commissioners and Notre Dame were set to meet here Monday to discuss how to possibly make the CFP better. However, Sankey was clear to point out, that doesn’t mean a precursor to playoff expansion.
Sankey is in favor of the four-team status quo.
“There was a set of principles set down when the playoff was created, and I don’t see where those principles are now wrong,” he said. “But you will always have disagreement.”
Cbssports.com reported Sunday that Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany requested a review of CFP selection protocol at a meeting at last year’s championship game in Atlanta. Delany was reportedly concerned about conferences playing a different number of league games and wanted clarity on the importance of winning a conference title.
SAN JOSE, Calif. —