I can see the defense of Te'o which amounts to excuses along the lines that the Alabama offensive line manhandled the Irish D line such that Te'o wasn't protected. That may be fair, but then to be consistent you take away from his better performances when the Irish were playing weaker competition throughout their schedule, because you have to then give those same D linemen credit.
I wouldn't dismiss this as one bad game. This was a career altering game, where a player's legacy is affected. This was a game where if he were truly elite he would have transcended the circumstance and played better despite adversity. You want a guy that elevates his defense, especially in a big game. The Dolphins have plenty of guys who can quietly do their jobs and wait for the next guy to make the game changing play, especially in a big situation. This was a big game, and I think it is entirely fair to hold it firmly against Te'o because it really mattered. This kind of performance is not worthy of a top half of round 1 guy, especially at that position. Low 1 or second round, I'd consider him because I am not saying he is a bad player. But not top half of round one. Seau, Kuechly and Willis were worthy of such lofty draft positions but Te'o is not IMO.