Alabama is back in the national playoff conversation, and a few fresh projections have the Crimson Tide inside the 12-team field again after their 31-20 win over Texas A&M.
The Tide are 6-2 overall and 4-2 in the SEC, with their latest victory helping steady the résumé after an ugly 26-10 loss at Tennessee on Oct. 17.
Alabama also remains highly regarded in the weekly polls, sitting No. 10 in both the US LBM Coaches Poll and the AP Top 25. The only SEC teams ranked ahead of the Tide are Georgia at No. 3 and Kentucky at No.
Sports Illustrated is among the outlets putting Alabama back in the bracket. Longtime college football analyst Bryan Fischer now projects the Tide as the No. 10 seed, which would send them to LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo to face BYU on Dec. 18 or 19.
Fischer wrote of Kalen DeBoer’s team:
"Was it pretty for the Crimson Tide to get past Texas A&M? No.
It was one of those games that might have as many questions about the program as it leaves answers. They'll take it however to climb back into the CFP race."
He also addressed BYU’s place in the race:
"As bad as losing to UCF was for BYU on a chaotic evening in Orlando, it may have been even worse for their conference given how much narrower the path is now for multiple Big 12 bids to the CFP."
Alabama still has a lot to sort out before Selection Sunday, and the first real clue about the committee’s thinking won’t come until Tuesday, Nov. 3. The Tide’s next swing point comes the following week against LSU at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge.
That game looms large because Alabama’s path is still very much tied to what happens over these final four regular-season games. The Tide also have Vanderbilt on the road, Chattanooga at home and the Iron Bowl against Auburn at Bryant-Denny Stadium to close things out.
They’ll also have to keep navigating injuries. Alabama beat Texas A&M without several key players, including receiver Ryan Coleman-Williams, center Racin Delgatty, running back EJ Crowell, defensive back Zabien Brown and defensive tackle Terrance Green. Left tackle William Sanders also exited the Texas A&M game with an injury.
The computer and bracket-watch crowd is giving Alabama a real shot. ESPN’s Allstate Playoff Predictor says the Tide currently have a 63% chance to make the field entering the Week 9 bye. That climbs to 99% if Alabama beats LSU, Vanderbilt and Auburn, but drops to 51% if the Tide lose to LSU and still beat Vanderbilt and Auburn.
Sports Illustrated isn’t alone in seeing Alabama in the mix. The Athletic’s Scott Dochterman projects the same Alabama-BYU matchup, though with Alabama getting the higher seed and hosting the Cougars in a first-round game at Bryant-Denny Stadium. ESPN’s FPI gives the Tide a 62.9% chance to reach the playoff, while analyst Kyle Bonagura has Alabama in as the No. 11 seed against Indiana in Bloomington.
USA TODAY Sports’ Erick Smith sees Alabama drawing Ole Miss in Oxford in a No. 9 vs. No. 8 matchup.
Not everyone is buying the Tide, though. Fox Sports analyst Joel Klatt and CBS Sports’ John Talty are among the voices who think Alabama will miss the playoff for the second time in three years under DeBoer.
Alabama’s remaining schedule:
Nov. 7: at LSU, 2:30 p.m. CT, ABC
Nov. 14: at Vanderbilt, TBA
Nov. 21: vs.
Chattanooga, 1 p.m., SEC Network+
Nov. 28: vs.
Auburn, TBA
In Other News...
Alabama Still Has One Noah Rogers Decision Hanging Over The Offense
Noah Rogers has been back in the mix since Week 4, but Alabama still has not fully unlocked what it wants from the NC State transfer. A knee injury in spring practice slowed his rollout, and while the staff has clearly been interested in finding more room for him on offense, the challenge has been fitting him into an already crowded rotation without pulling someone else off the field.
Kalen DeBoer has said the Tide would like to involve Rogers more, which leaves this as more than a simple health update. It is a usage question now, and one that will keep lingering as Alabama sorts out how to balance its personnel. Elsewhere around the program, sophomore guard Amari Allen is entering the year with some real buzz after being named preseason All-SEC first team by league coaches following a strong freshman season and a solid preseason showing. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama Heads To LSU With DeBoer Taking A Very Different Approach
The Alabama-LSU matchup on Nov. 7 already carried plenty of weight, but Lane Kiffin helped sharpen the edge by calling out the SECs decision to put the game in an afternoon window and suggesting the schedule favors LSU. His comments added another layer to a rivalry that rarely needs much help getting attention, especially with both programs entering a stretch where every move feels magnified.
Kalen DeBoer, meanwhile, has taken a noticeably different tack in the buildup, keeping the focus on Alabama rather than joining the public back-and-forth. With LSU dealing with injuries and the stakes obvious for the Crimson Tide, the game sets up as one of those November tests that can reshape the conversation around Alabama almost immediately, depending on how it plays out. [Read more 🡒]
Kalen DeBoer Just Landed In An Alabama Scenario Fans Will Hate
Kalen DeBoer is already getting pulled into the kind of rumor mill Alabama fans never want to see around a coach who is still settling in. After signing a long-term deal with the Crimson Tide, DeBoer has nevertheless surfaced as a name to watch if USC ever decides to make a change with Lincoln Riley, whose tenure in Los Angeles has yet to produce a national championship or a College Football Playoff berth.
For Alabama, the concern is obvious: whenever a coach starts showing up on another blue-bloods wish list, the speculation follows. DeBoers contract was built to give the Tide stability, but the USC angle keeps his name in circulation for a job that would be hard for any coach to ignore, and it leaves Alabama fans waiting to see whether the noise fades or grows louder. [Read more 🡒]