Alabama’s case as the nation’s top two-loss team keeps getting louder, and now it’s backed by more than one ranking system.
ESPN’s FPI model has the Crimson Tide ahead of every other two-loss team, and even ahead of several teams with fewer losses. That list includes one-loss Miami, Indiana, Wake Forest, and Texas Tech, plus the FBS’s two unbeaten teams, Utah and UCLA. The Bruins sit at No. 27 in the model, only one place above 5-4 Florida.
That kind of placement invites the usual talk about ESPN and SEC favoritism, but the numbers themselves don’t really work that way. FPI is built on comparison after comparison, and the model’s output doesn’t amount to a moral judgment on any one program. Texas A&M at 4-5 also showing up above UCLA may look strange at first glance, but the source notes that it isn’t evidence of a pro-SEC tilt.
A second recent ranking adds to Alabama’s momentum. Matt De Lima of SI.com graded the top two-loss teams and put Alabama at No. 1, making it the only team in his group to earn an “A” grade. Four of his top six two-loss teams came from the SEC, with one from the Big 12 and one from the Big Ten.
Texas checked in at No. 2 with an A-, and Tennessee was right behind at No. 3 with the same grade. BYU landed at No. 4 and Iowa at No. 5, both earning B+ marks.
Houston, USC, and Arizona were slotted from No. 7 through No. 9 and all received B grades. Duke, SMU, Louisiana Tech, and North Texas followed from No. 10 through No. 13 with B- grades.
The list didn’t stop there. Seven more FBS teams were graded from C+ down to a D+ for No. 20 Toledo.
If the College Football Playoff Selection Committee wants support for keeping Alabama at No. 3, it can find it in more than one place. De Lima’s rankings are subjective, but Brian Fremeau’s objective data set also puts Alabama, Texas, and Georgia at the top of the Playoff picture.
In Other News...
Alabama Fans Have A Real Reason To Worry About Ryan Coleman-Williams
Ryan Coleman-Williams still gives Alabama the kind of offensive versatility that can change a game in a hurry, but the conversation around him has shifted in a way Tide fans probably did not expect. Once viewed as a likely first-round NFL Draft pick, the wide receiver has seen his stock slide amid uneven production and the lingering effects of knee surgery, even as he remains one of the more dynamic options on the roster.
The concern now is less about whether he has pro traits and more about how much those traits will show up consistently before draft season tightens the picture. Coleman-Williams has 25 catches for 429 yards and four touchdowns over seven games, a line that still flashes big-play ability but also leaves evaluators wanting more. For Alabama, the worry is obvious: a player with this much talent is no longer being talked about in the same range as he once was, and that shift can change how the rest of the season is viewed. [Read more 🡒]
SEC Travel Chaos Adds New Uncertainty To Alabamas Saturday
The FAAs nationwide ground stop rippled through SEC football on Saturday, and Auburn ended up among the teams forced to adjust on the fly. Instead of flying to face Mississippi State, the Tigers had to bus from Columbus, Georgia, to Tupelo, Mississippi, a reminder of how quickly travel plans can get scrambled in a conference that already asks a lot of its teams on game day.
For Alabama, the bigger concern is the uncertainty around the rest of the league schedule as the SEC keeps an eye on possible disruptions. Texas, Tennessee and Ole Miss were also caught up in the mess, and with several games already set to operate under adjusted travel arrangements, the day has taken on an unusual layer of logistical stress beyond the usual football stakes. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama May Be Facing A QB Decision Bigger Than Vanderbilt
Alabama appears set to turn to Austin Mack at quarterback against Vanderbilt, a move driven by Keelon Russells ankle injury and the possibility that the staff wants to give him time to heal. Kalen DeBoer said Russell is day-to-day, and the way he framed it suggested the Tide are being cautious with a player they do not want to rush back too soon.
Mack has been the primary backup this season, and DeBoer has made it clear Alabama feels comfortable with him if called upon. He also brings previous game experience with the Tide, which matters in a week when the bigger question may not be Vanderbilt at all, but how long Alabama chooses to wait before putting Russell back in the mix. [Read more 🡒]