Pasedena, California - Was Alabama's College Football Playoff spot earned as a business move?

Alabama football fans can let out a collective sigh of relief as the Crimson Tide has secured a spot in the College Football Playoff, as revealed by the selection committee on ESPN.

This exciting development follows Alabama's stunning victory over then-No. 1 Georgia in the SEC championship game in Atlanta over the weekend.

Despite fans' excitement, the announcement of Alabama's inclusion has sparked a major controversy in the college football world, and it's not hard to see why.

Alabama snagged the No. 4 spot, trailing behind Michigan, Washington, and Texas. The upcoming challenge for Alabama is a showdown against Michigan in the Rose Bowl semifinal.

What really stirred the pot was the snubbing of Florida State, which claimed the No. 5 spot with an impressive season record. The Seminoles accomplished the rare feat of going undefeated in the regular season, clinching the ACC championship over Louisville, all while relying on third-string quarterback Brock Glenn.

The move marks the first time the selection committee has sidelined an undefeated conference champion in college football history.

Instead of a coveted spot in the semifinal, FSU finds itself bound for an Orange Bowl matchup against No. 6 Georgia. The plot thickens, leaving football fans and conspiracy theorists alike buzzing about the committee's decisions.

The decision to favor 11-1 regular season teams like Texas and Alabama over the unbeaten Florida State has caused a stir in the college football world, and many fans speculate that the move was more than just nasty: it was a strategic play.

Amidst the controversy, a popular theory suggests that Alabama's inclusion was simply a nod to incorporate the SEC into the playoffs.

The weekend's events, marked by the hashtag #NoSEC gaining traction after Georgia's loss in the SEC championships, fueled the belief that Georgia was out, but Alabama, with its win, would somehow find a spot in the top four — which indeed happened.

Adding a layer of intrigue, former Buckeye and college football national champion Maurice Clarett has thrown in the notion of money playing a potential role in the committee's decisions. The whispers of lucrative deals influencing the final selection intensify the conspiracy theories surrounding the playoff choices.

"You can't strike a deal for 3 Billion and then be left off the set. Look at the team that they use to advertise this when GA are the reigning champions of the SEC. I don't just blurt out conspiracies. I follow the money and see how it influenced the decisions made," he tweeted. "These institutions have well oiled PR machines. They have the whole world talking about the way FSU won vs how Bama won meanwhile it has nothing to do with either. It's a stone cold business play."

"The whole purpose was to get an SEC team in. They had a problem they couldn't put Bama in over Texas because of the beat down in Bama’s home. So they had to put both in. Not so if UGA wins FSU is in," another fan added.

No. 4 Alabama is set to face off against No. 1 Michigan in the Rose Bowl on January 1 at 5 PM EST, airing on ESPN.