Hockey uses an offside rule and pulling the goalie only happen near the end of the game when the team is trailing and looking to play with the extra man. It only works in the NHL about 15% of the time.
Why did Alabama lose to Texas? The system is flawed and maybe a 12 team playoff will make it a little better. Ranking will still be subjective but with more teams, the "good" teams will need to prove they are better.