Damien Harris didn’t hide his reaction to Alabama landing at No. 5 in the first 2026 College Football Playoff Ranking.
The former Crimson Tide running back and CBS College Football Analyst called it a “spectacle” while discussing the ranking on CBS Sports.
“I am shocked by this,” Harris said on CBS Sports. “Nobody expected this.
Nobody. Tennessee, who is ranked number 13 in the country, embarrassed this football team by two scores at home, and Alabama is ranked, what, seven places higher than them?
How do we fathom this? We are learning the committee’s thought process.
We’re not necessarily learning about who are the best teams. We watch these teams.
We watch Tennessee Beat Alabama sure-handedly. We’re seeing what flavors of ice cream the committee likes, and they like whatever they serving in Tuscaloosa.
Wow. Because to have them as a top 5 team truly is a spectacle.”
The ranking drew a defense from College Football Playoff Committee Chairman Hunter Yurachek, who explained why Alabama checked in at No. 5 during the reveal show.
“I think you look first at Alabama went on the road and beat the team that we have ranked six this week in Kentucky,” Yurachek said. “They also beat South Carolina, who’s ranked in the top 25, and then, I think, many forget that they went on the road and beat Mississippi State when Mississippi State was undefeated and at full strength, and we really valued that as a strong win for Alabama back there in the early part of the season, when Mississippi, again, they had that quarterback, Kamario Taylor, that was very, very good, and Mississippi State was on a roll at that time.
And so, with those, we see those as three quality wins. Yes, they had a loss to Tennessee.
Tennessee doesn’t have the same level of quality wins. They do have the win against Alabama, but you have to go a little bit deeper to see Tennessee with another quality win on their schedule.”
In Other News...
Mississippi State Just Got Pulled Into The Alabama Tennessee CFP Fight
The latest College Football Playoff rankings have only sharpened the debate around Alabamas place in the field, and now Mississippi State has been pulled into the conversation by association. The selection committee put Alabama at No. 5 and Tennessee at No. 13, even with Tennessee owning the head-to-head win, and CFP chairman Hunter Yurachek said the gap came down to Alabamas collection of quality victories against ranked opponents.
For Alabama fans, the takeaway is clear enough: the committee is rewarding resume depth over a single game result, and that makes every ranked opponent the Crimson Tide have beaten feel more valuable. Tennessees case still has its own appeal because the losses have come in close games against ranked teams, but the broader message from the committee is hard to miss, and it leaves the SEC race with another layer of intrigue as the rankings keep sorting themselves out. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama Heads To LSU With One Road Problem Still Looming
Alabama heads into Week 10 with a top-15 showdown at LSU carrying the kind of road question that tends to follow a good team until it gets answered. Kalen DeBoers group has handled the season well enough to stay in the national conversation, but the trip to Baton Rouge brings a different test, especially with LSU also sitting among the countrys best and the spotlight on a matchup that has plenty of weight beyond the standings.
The coaching subplot adds another layer, with DeBoer and Lane Kiffin set to meet for the first time and DeBoer still unbeaten against LSU. On the other side, LSU quarterback Sam Leavitt will have to navigate an Alabama defense that has made life difficult for opponents, and the Crimson Tides ability to keep its offense steady away from home may end up being the detail that decides whether this one feels like a statement or another reminder that the road still has work left to do. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama Fans Will Love Whos Calling Out Texas In CFP Debate
The first College Football Playoff rankings of the 2026 season have already stirred up plenty of conversation, and Alabama fans had to like hearing Stephen A. Smith jump into the debate over Texas. Smith took aim at the committee for putting the Longhorns at No. 7, pointing to the fact that Texas has already lost twice to unranked teams while still landing in a spot that leaves some room to recover in the weeks ahead.
For Alabama supporters, the bigger issue is the message that sends in a crowded SEC race, especially with Texas still staring at a tricky matchup against No. 18 Missouri. The ranking feels like the kind of early-season cushion that can frustrate teams on the outside looking in, and it is exactly the sort of CFP debate that tends to linger when the bracket picture is still taking shape. [Read more 🡒]