The College Football Playoff debate around Alabama and Tennessee is already doing what the best college football arguments always do: stirring up everybody, satisfying nobody and making people dream about a rematch that would dwarf the first meeting.
That’s the real prize here. Not the social-media fight.
Not the ranking graphics. Not the weekly hand-wringing.
The best possible version of this story is Alabama and Tennessee meeting again, this time with everything on the line in the CFP quarterfinals, on New Year’s Day, at a neutral site in Atlanta or Dallas, with both teams rested and healthy.
Forget the noise from Neyland Stadium or Bryant-Denny Stadium. Forget the home-field theatrics that have turned Tennessee into a nightmare to visit right now. The ideal setup is simple: the third Saturday in October, Part 2, with a playoff berth and far more than bragging rights hanging in the balance.
That dream, of course, sits on top of the actual argument the rankings have created. Alabama was placed at No. 5 and Tennessee at No. 13 in the first CFP ranking, even though Tennessee beat Alabama 26-10. And the case for keeping that order intact when the next ranking comes out Tuesday is rooted in the committee’s own framework.
Each team has played nine games. Both are 7-2 overall.
Alabama is 5-2 in the SEC, while Tennessee is 4-2. That difference matters because the committee is supposed to evaluate the full body of work, not just one result.
On the committee’s comparison points, Alabama has the edge in several places. ESPN’s strength of schedule has Alabama at No. 1 and Tennessee at No.
- Alabama is also ahead in strength of record, No. 5 to No. 12, and game control, No. 6 to No.
Head-to-head belongs to Tennessee, and that should matter if the resumes ever get close enough for it to become the separator. But right now, the resumes are not equal.
The common-opponents piece also leans Alabama’s way. Both teams have played Kentucky and South Carolina.
Alabama is 2-0 in those games, while Tennessee is 1-1. Alabama beat Kentucky by 28 in Lexington and South Carolina by 31 in Tuscaloosa.
Tennessee beat Kentucky by 28 Saturday in Knoxville, but lost to South Carolina by three in Columbia.
There’s also the player-availability angle, which the source points to as a major part of Alabama’s resume. Alabama did not have its best playmaker in Ryan Coleman-Williams, its starting center in Racin Delgatty or its defensive line anchor in Terrance Green for the Tennessee game. All three were back Saturday at LSU, where Alabama beat Lane Kiffin in his place again 31-13.
That difference, the source argues, is impossible to ignore.
None of that has stopped Tennessee fans from bristling at the ranking, which is understandable given the result in Knoxville. But the broader point is that the debate is still alive because there are three regular-season games left for each team and plenty of room for the committee’s numbers to shift.
For now, though, the argument is less important than the possibility it creates. Alabama and Tennessee have already given the sport one of its sharpest October flashpoints. The best ending is to let them settle it again, on a bigger stage, with everything attached to the outcome.
In Other News...
Greg McElroy Just Gave Alabama Fans Fresh Playoff Ammo
Greg McElroy has given Alabama fans another talking point to carry into the College Football Playoff conversation, saying the Crimson Tide should land at No. 3 in the next rankings. The former Alabama quarterback pointed to the strength of Alabamas wins and the injury issues the team has had to navigate, a combination that gives supporters plenty of ammunition as the playoff debate starts to sharpen.
His take also puts Tennessee in the spotlight, with McElroy placing the Volunteers at No. 8 and leaving their path to the postseason tied closely to what happens in the games ahead. The reaction to his comments has already been lively, and for Alabama fans, it is the kind of outside validation that can fuel the argument even before the rankings are officially released. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama Faces New QB Concern Heading Into Vanderbilt
Keelon Russells ankle injury is the latest thing Alabama has to monitor as it turns the page from the LSU win and starts preparing for Vanderbilt. Kalen DeBoer said the quarterback is day-to-day after getting hurt in the LSU game, but Russell still came back and finished with 206 passing yards and three touchdowns, a reminder of how important he has become to the offense.
For Alabama, the timing matters because there is little room for a lingering issue at quarterback with another SEC test coming up next. The update leaves the Crimson Tide with some reassurance after Russells strong finish against LSU, but it also adds a layer of uncertainty to a position group that can change the feel of the week in a hurry. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama Still Waiting On Two Young Backs At Crucial Time
With the stretch run arriving, Alabama is still waiting on two young backs who could matter down the line. AK Dear and EJ Crowell remain limited because of health issues, and offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb said both are working their way back while stressing that neither is facing a season-ending injury. Neither player was available for the recent game against LSU, leaving the Tide to keep piecing together the backfield as the calendar tightens.
For a program that likes to have depth ready when the games get bigger, the timing is less than ideal. Alabama does not have to write either player off for the year, but it also cannot count on them yet, which makes every update worth watching. The next question is whether either back can get healthy enough to rejoin the mix before the season reaches its most demanding stage. [Read more 🡒]