Alabama’s trip to Death Valley changed the conversation in a hurry, and Tuesday night’s second College Football Playoff rankings should show it.
The Crimson Tide sat at No. 5 in the opening rankings, but that number came before they walked into LSU’s place and handled business in a 31-13 win. That result gives the committee a fresh data point, even if the whole idea of a weekly reset is supposed to make last week irrelevant.
In theory, every new ranking starts from scratch. In reality, people remember what happened seven days ago.
That’s why the expectation is that Alabama climbs.
NBC’s Nicole Auerbach and ESPN’s Heather Dinich both project the Tide to jump to No. 3.
USA Today’s Matthew Glenesk has Alabama at No. 3 as well, while College Football News’ Pete Futiak slots the Tide at No. 4.
On the other side, The Sporting News’ Bill Bender sees Alabama falling to No. 6.
ESPN’s weekly group of 10 pickers, which includes Bill Connelly and Mark Schlabach but not Dinich, splits the difference in a way that still leaves the Tide outside the top five, with predictions ranging from No. 6 to No. 8.
The Alabama-Tennessee conversation is the one that keeps hanging over all of this.
For people who don’t want to see Alabama rise, or for Tennessee fans who definitely don’t, the argument is simple: the Vols beat the Tide head-to-head in Knoxville, so they should be ahead. That wasn’t an issue last week because the teams were in different ranking pods. This week, Tennessee’s win over Kentucky could push it into the same pod as Alabama, and if that happens, the Vols could end up one spot higher.
Still, head-to-head isn’t the only thing the committee weighs.
Alabama’s strength of schedule is a major card in its hand. According to ESPN’s FPI, the Tide have the No.
1 SOS in college football, and Jeff Sagarin’s model matches that view. Tennessee’s SOS, by comparison, is No.
- That’s solid, but it’s nowhere near Alabama’s level.
The best read here is that Tennessee moves up to No. 10, maybe No. 9, while Miami drops, possibly all the way to No. 5 or No. 6.
As for Alabama, No. 4 feels like the safest prediction, though No. 3 would not be a surprise. Either way, the Tide should get rewarded for that road win over LSU.
In Other News...
Alabama May Be Giving Austin Mack A Huge Chance At Vanderbilt
Keelon Russells ankle injury has opened the door for Austin Mack, and Alabama appears willing to let the former five-star recruit take some meaningful snaps against Vanderbilt. With Russell banged up, head coach Kalen DeBoer said Mack could see the field in an effort to protect the starter for the games ahead, giving the Crimson Tide a chance to see what they have in a quarterback who has spent most of his time waiting behind the scenes.
For Mack, the timing matters. He has had limited playing time since arriving in Tuscaloosa, but this could be the kind of opportunity that changes the conversation around his future, especially with a possible transfer in the background. Vanderbilt may not be the biggest stage on Alabamas schedule, but it could be a valuable one for a quarterback still trying to show he can handle real game action. [Read more 🡒]
Alabamas Defensive Front Just Got A Boost Fans Have Been Waiting For
Devan Thompkins gave Alabama a timely jolt in the win at LSU, finishing with two sacks and snapping a drought that had stretched back to Week 3. It was the kind of interior push the Crimson Tide have been trying to rediscover, and it came in a game where the defense as a whole finally looked disruptive again, piling up four sacks for its best total since Week 5.
Terrance Greens return from injury helped make that happen. He made his presence felt with a sack of his own and steady work against the run, giving Alabamas defensive front a more complete look and drawing praise from the coaching staff for the way he changed the lines energy. For a unit that has been searching for consistency up front, Greens impact may have been just as important as the numbers beside Thompkins name. [Read more 🡒]
BYUs Playoff Hope Now Hinges On One Big 12 Break
The latest College Football Playoff projections are already getting reshuffled after recent results, and Notre Dames win over Miami has only added another layer of movement to a bracket that still feels very much in flux. Georgia is being projected as a top seed as the SEC champion, while Utah sits in line as the Big 12 champion, and the at-large picture is crowded with teams whose resumes have been boosted or complicated by what happened over the weekend.
For Alabama fans tracking the wider playoff race, the most interesting part may be how much still depends on the Big 12s final stretch. BYUs path has become tightly tied to one more conference break going its way, and the committees next set of rankings will help clarify whether the Cougars stay in the hunt or get nudged behind the teams already occupying the safer positions. The scenarios are still speculative, but the stakes are clear enough: one result could ripple through the entire field. [Read more 🡒]