The alarm bells are loud now for Alabama.
What looked like a team with real national title juice not long ago has suddenly slid into a dangerous place, and the College Football Playoff picture is turning against the Crimson Tide fast. After sitting at the center of the national conversation just two weeks ago, Alabama is now fighting to keep its season from drifting out of the CFP race.
The latest hit came in Knoxville. Alabama went to Tennessee on Saturday and took a 26-10 loss, managing only 201 yards on offense. That result followed a more understandable 20-17 home loss to Georgia in Week 6, a game that was tight against the top-ranked team in the country and could have gone either way.
The Tennessee game, though, carried a very different feel. Alabama was missing No. 1 wide receiver Ryan Coleman-Williams and starting center Racin Delgatty, but the problems ran deeper than absences. Keelon Russell spent the day under heavy pressure, Tennessee’s secondary had a standout performance, and Alabama couldn’t come up with the stops it needed in the second half.
At 5-2, the Crimson Tide are now on the outside looking in, according to ESPN’s Heather Dinich. Her current SEC playoff group includes Georgia, Ole Miss, Kentucky and Tennessee - a harsh snapshot for Alabama given where the program seemed headed only a short time ago.
The margin for error is gone for Kalen DeBoer’s team, and the schedule doesn’t offer many chances to recover in dramatic fashion. Alabama has only one ranked opponent left: No.
18 LSU on Nov. 7.
That matchup stands out as the biggest opportunity remaining, but the rest of the path is far more manageable.
Next up is a home game against Texas A&M, followed by a Nov. 14 road trip to face a 3-4 Vanderbilt team. Alabama then hosts Chattanooga on Nov. 21 before closing the regular season with the Iron Bowl against Auburn.
There is still a very sizeable chance for Alabama to make the playoff. But with the way the last two weeks have gone, the Crimson Tide can’t afford another slip.
In Other News...
Tennessee's Celebration Just Added Another Twist To This Alabama Rivalry
Tennessees latest win over Alabama already carried the usual rivalry weight, and now it has come with an SEC penalty attached. The league fined the Volunteers $500,000 after fans rushed the field following the victory, a scene that has become familiar in college football but still runs afoul of conference policy when it crosses the line into the competition area.
For Alabama, the detail that stands out is where that money is headed. The fine will be paid to the Crimson Tide, while Tennessee does have a path to argue for a reduction if it can show it took steps to prevent the breach or that contact was minimal. The SEC also leaves room for schools to stage on-field celebrations, but only if they submit procedures in advance and get them approved, which gives this rivalry another layer of paperwork to go with the emotion. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama Faces A Brutal Truth After Tennessee Exposed This Weakness
Alabamas trip to Tennessee turned into a blunt reminder of where things stand after a 26-10 loss that sent the Crimson Tide into consecutive regular-season defeats for the first time since 2007. ESPN analyst Greg McElroy pointed to the line of scrimmage as the defining issue, with Tennessee dictating play and Alabama unable to match the Volunteers physical edge.
The offensive problems only made the night harder to absorb, as turnovers and an ineffective rushing attack left Alabama searching for answers. Tennessees strong ground game helped control the flow throughout, and now the Tide head into an important rebound spot against Texas A&M with pressure to respond quickly. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama Faces A Bigger Question Than Just The Tennessee Loss
Alabamas 26-10 loss to Tennessee would have been enough to force a reset on its own, but the bigger issue coming out of the weekend is the injury list that kept the Crimson Tide from looking like itself. Head coach Kalen DeBoer spent time afterward updating the status of Zabien Brown, EJ Crowell, Ryan Coleman-Williams, Racin Delgatty and Terrance Green, a reminder that the season is being shaped not just by results, but by who is available to take the field.
The encouraging part for Alabama is that the group is being handled on a week-to-week basis, with some players expected back at practice soon. Still, until those bodies return and the Tide can see how quickly they regain rhythm, the conversation around the program is going to be about depth, availability and whether the roster can stabilize fast enough to keep the loss from turning into something more lasting. [Read more 🡒]