Two ESPN voices are now leaning toward Alabama making the College Football Playoff.
After entering the Crimson Tide’s Week 9 bye split on where Kalen DeBoer’s team stood, both Kyle Bonagura and Mark Schlabach have Alabama in the 12-team bracket ahead of Saturday’s trip to LSU. The shift comes just before Tuesday’s CFP rankings, where Alabama landed at No. 5.
Bonagura has Alabama as the No. 10 seed, with Keelon Russell guiding the Tide into a first-round road game at Indiana in Bloomington on Dec. 18 or 19.
Schlabach’s latest projection is even a touch better for Alabama. A week after sending the Tide to Nashville for a Music City Bowl matchup with Wisconsin, he now has Alabama at No. 9 and matched up with Texas in Austin in an SEC vs. SEC first-round game.
The rankings backdrop matters here. Alabama is 6-2 overall and 4-2 in the SEC, while LSU sits at No. 15 in the polls and No. 14 in the CFP rankings. The Crimson Tide checked in at No. 9 in both the US LBM Coaches Poll and the AP Top 25.
Now comes the next test. Alabama and LSU kick off at 2:30 p.m. CT Saturday at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, with ABC carrying the game.
Alabama’s 2026 schedule has already produced a mixed bag of results. The Tide opened with wins over East Carolina, Kentucky, Florida State, South Carolina and Mississippi State before falling to Georgia and Tennessee.
They bounced back with a win over Texas A&M, and the stretch run includes LSU on Nov. 7, Vanderbilt on Nov.
14, Chattanooga on Nov. 21 and Auburn on Nov. 28.
In Other News...
Alabama Fans Should Be Watching This Spain Park WR Closely
AL.coms latest Best in Bama rankings put a spotlight on the quarterback-receiver combinations driving some of Alabama high school footballs most intriguing offenses, and the list naturally has Crimson Tide fans looking beyond the usual powerhouses. Thompson and Selma grabbed the top billing, with Alabama commit Trent Seaborn pairing with uncommitted Dedrick Kimbrough for Thompson and freshman quarterback Cole Moody throwing to Alabama commit Cedrick Simmons at Selma.
Spain Park also made the cut, thanks to Barrett Price and quarterback Nash Davis, a tandem that has become worth tracking for more than just local bragging rights. Price has been actively recruiting and already has offers from multiple colleges, which makes his profile especially interesting for Alabama fans keeping tabs on in-state pass catchers and the next wave of offensive talent. [Read more 🡒]
Lane Kiffins Alabama Problem Just Got Bigger In The Playoff
Lane Kiffins history against Alabama has been one of the more stubborn subplots of his head-coaching career, and it gets another layer now with a playoff game looming between No. 5 Alabama and No. 14 LSU. Kiffin has gone 0-5 against the Crimson Tide as a head coach, a run that has followed him through different stops and different stakes, and it has made Alabama a particularly frustrating matchup whenever his teams have crossed paths with the Tide.
Now the setting is even bigger, with LSU favored and the result carrying real weight for both sides of the coaching tree. For Alabamas staff, it is another high-pressure test against a familiar opponent with a familiar face on the other sideline. For Kiffin, it is another chance to finally change a storyline that has followed him for years, and one that would only grow louder if this one goes the wrong way. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama Faces A Brutal Road Test That Could Decide Everything
A trip to Baton Rouge in Week 10 already carries enough weight, but this one arrives with even more on the line because Alabama and LSU both enter with two losses. The matchup has the feel of a separator game, the kind that can reshape the rest of the season in a hurry, and the Tide will need cleaner football than they have shown at times if they want to leave with control of their own path.
Keelon Russell sits at the center of Alabamas hopes, while LSU brings a pass rush that can force a quarterback into hurried decisions and ugly mistakes. Add in the Tides issues with penalties and injuries, and the margin for error gets thin fast, especially against a rival that has made a habit of turning high-stakes games into pressure cookers. [Read more 🡒]