The committee selecting Alabama would not be a surprise as they have several million reasons to justify it.
You have to remember that the Big Ten and SEC burning down the rest of the sport and ascending to their own duopoly in which they get all the money is a conspiracy of power that benefits those 32 schools and absolutely no one else.
Of the 13 committee members you have Michigan and Kentucky's AD's, former players at Penn State and Nebraska, a former coach of Texas A&M, and the former reporter who is both the token media member and token woman, who may be a wild card.
That's 6. They don't have the votes. Even if they wanted Bama in which they might not for other reasons.
It will be Georgia, Michigan, Ohio State and TCU.
And my god how much better for college football it would be if Georgia and Michigan were settling it among themselves on January 8 in Tempe.