Alabama’s path to the College Football Playoff may not be decided in September. It may come down to a brutal four-game run in the middle of the season, the kind of stretch that can make or break a contender in a hurry.
The Crimson Tide get a few softer spots early and late, but the real pressure point arrives in October and carries straight into the first weekend after the bye. Georgia comes to Tuscaloosa on Oct.
10, Tennessee follows in Knoxville on Oct. 17, Texas A&M visits Tuscaloosa on Oct. 24, and then Alabama heads to LSU on Nov.
- If the Tide can split those four, they should have a strong playoff case.
If they do better than that, the path gets even cleaner.
That’s why Alabama’s schedule, while not always treated like one of the toughest in the country, deserves a closer look. James Parsk of OnSI may have ranked it No. 9 out of 10 in his piece, but the bigger point still holds: there is a dangerous middle section here, and Alabama has to survive it.
The full slate starts with East Carolina on Sept. 5 in Tuscaloosa, then a trip to Kentucky on Sept. 12.
Florida State comes to town on Sept. 19, followed by South Carolina on Sept. 26 and a road game at Mississippi State on Oct. 3.
Only then does the schedule really tighten around the Crimson Tide.
Here’s the rest of the lineup Alabama faces this season:
Sept. 5 - East Carolina Pirates, Tuscaloosa, AL, 11:00 a.m.
CT
Sept. 12 - at Kentucky Wildcats, Lexington, KY, 2:30 p.m.
CT
Sept.
19 - Florida State Seminoles, Tuscaloosa, AL, 2:30 p.m. CT
Sept. 26 - South Carolina Gamecocks, Tuscaloosa, AL, 5:00-7:00 p.m.
CT
Oct. 3 - at Mississippi State Bulldogs, Starkville, MS, 11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
CT
Oct.
10 - Georgia Bulldogs, Tuscaloosa, AL, 5:00-7:00 p.m. CT
Oct. 17 - at Tennessee Volunteers, Knoxville, TN, 2:30-7:00 p.m. CT
Oct. 24 - Texas A&M Aggies, Tuscaloosa, AL, 2:30-7:00 p.m.
CT
Oct.
31 - BYE
Nov. 7 - at LSU Tigers, Baton Rouge, LA, 2:30-7:00 p.m.
CT
Nov. 14 - at Vanderbilt Commodores, Nashville, TN, 11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
CT
Nov.
21 - Chattanooga Mocs, Tuscaloosa, AL, 1:00 p.m. CT
Nov. 28 - Auburn Tigers, Tuscaloosa, AL, 2:30-7:00 p.m.
CT
Dec.
5 - SEC Championship, Atlanta, GA, 3:00 p.m. CT
Kalen DeBoer’s third season in Tuscaloosa is going to be shaped by that central gauntlet. Alabama is coming off a return to the playoff and a road win over Oklahoma in Norman, so the expectations are already clear. The Tide need to bank the games they should win and stay upright when the schedule turns mean.
Georgia is the first major test, and Alabama has controlled that matchup for nearly two decades, even if the most recent meeting went the other way. Tennessee and LSU are major rivals.
Texas A&M was in the playoff a year ago. Those are the games that will tell the story.
LSU stands out as the biggest swing game of the bunch. A win in Death Valley would do a lot for Alabama’s playoff chances and would carry extra weight if it knocks Lane Kiffin’s program out of the picture.
Tennessee has given Alabama trouble in Knoxville in recent years, but the Vols are viewed as a step back under Josh Heupel. Georgia and Texas A&M both come to Tuscaloosa, which matters.
The warning sign for Alabama is simple: there is not much room for a slip. A loss to Kentucky, Florida State, Mississippi State, or Auburn would make that middle stretch even more important and leave DeBoer with less margin for error.
The goal is obvious. Win the winnable games, survive the heavyweights, and keep the playoff door open deep into the season.
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It is an easy debate for Crimson Tide fans to jump into, especially with DeBoer having guided Alabama back to the College Football Playoff last season and now entering his third year in Tuscaloosa. McElroys point centered on DeBoers success against some coaches ranked ahead of him, which only adds to the case that the conversation around Alabamas coach may be lagging behind what he has actually done on the field. [Read more 🡒]