The first College Football Playoff rankings dropped on Tuesday, and the reaction was immediate. Alabama landed at No. 5 even though the team has already lost two games. Fans are angry because the Crimson Tide sits eight spots ahead of Tennessee. The Volunteers beat Alabama 26-10 earlier this month in Knoxville. That score was not close. The public wants to know how a team with two losses can be ranked higher than the team that beat them.
Right now, social media is seeing red, though not the Crimson variety. On3’s Blain Crain posted on X, “Alabama has pictures of somebody.” Chris Marler opined, “Lol. There is nothing Alabama has put on the field in the last three weeks that says they are a Top 5 team dawg.” Brandon Walker of Barstool Sports remarked, “Alabama at 5 is one of the most stunning things I’ve ever seen.” The numbers show a split. Alabama is 6-2. Tennessee is also 6-2. Yet the gap between them is huge.
The Case for the Tide
The committee chair Hunter Yurachek explained why the team made the list. He pointed to wins that happened earlier in the year. Alabama went on the road and beat Kentucky. Kentucky is now ranked No. 6 in the same rankings. The Tide also beat South Carolina, a team that is in the top 25. Yurachek noted they beat Mississippi State when the Bulldogs were undefeated and at full strength. That game featured Kamario Taylor, a very good quarterback. Mississippi State was on a roll at that time.
Yurachek said the committee valued those early wins more than the recent loss to Tennessee. He further observed that Tennessee lacks the same quantity of quality wins as Alabama. The committee gave Alabama the head-to-head advantage against Kentucky because the two teams were in the same “pod.” Alabama and Tennessee were not in the same pod. This rule made a big difference in the final list.
Fans Feel the Snub
Danny Kanell, a former Florida State star quarterback, declared, “This committee is the worst, most non-sensical one yet.” He sees three SEC teams that should be ahead of Alabama. In no way should they be above Ole Miss or Texas. The public agrees. ESPN’s Joey Galloway said, “Everyone is surprised” by the seeding. USA TODAY Sports’ Matt Hayes had Alabama at No. 9 in his own projection. He put them behind Texas, a team with two top-10 wins. The committee had Texas at No. 7.
Kanell pointed out the record tie. The gap feels wrong to many fans. Tennessee lost by just one field goal in both of their defeats. Alabama lost to Georgia and Tennessee. The margin of loss matters to the public, even if the committee looks at win quality.
The Road Ahead
The expanded 12-team playoff gives Alabama some room for error. They have a chance to prove the ranking is right. Another vital SEC matchup against LSU on November 7 awaits them next. The Tigers sit at No. 14 in the first rankings. A win there would add a quality victory to the resume. Games against Vanderbilt and Auburn are still on the schedule. These games offer chances to strengthen their position before the season ends.
Should the Crimson Tide depart Baton Rouge with a loss this Saturday, pressure will increase. Another loss could make the path to the playoff much harder. The committee has shown it believes in Alabama’s potential. Kalen DeBoer and his players now must demonstrate that ranking is deserved. The road to the playoff is far from over. The team has officially put itself in the conversation, but the work is not done.
