Alabama’s Iron Bowl Win Raises Eyebrows in CFP Rankings - But Was It Really That Impressive?
The Iron Bowl always delivers drama, and this year was no different. Alabama escaped Jordan-Hare Stadium with a 27-20 win over Auburn - a game that went down to the wire and required a late touchdown to seal the deal. But while the Crimson Tide celebrated another rivalry win, the College Football Playoff committee’s response to it has sparked plenty of debate.
Alabama’s jump in the post-Week 14 rankings - leapfrogging both Notre Dame and Miami - has some wondering whether the Tide’s win over a 5-7 Auburn team really warranted such a boost. Yes, it’s the Iron Bowl.
Yes, it’s always intense when it’s played at Jordan-Hare. But should narrowly beating a team that fired its head coach weeks ago really move the needle this much?
That’s the heart of the conversation right now. Auburn’s record is what it is: 5-7 overall, with a 3-4 mark at home, including an 0-4 performance in SEC play at Jordan-Hare.
This isn’t the same intimidating Auburn home field that’s haunted Alabama in years past. In fact, the Tigers lost 10-3 at home to a Kentucky team that also finished 5-7 - and hadn’t won a single road game all season until that one.
Kentucky’s average margin of defeat in its other road games? Nearly 24 points.
So when the CFP committee chair pointed to Alabama’s early 17-0 lead in that environment as a reason to be impressed, critics were quick to push back. The argument goes like this: if Auburn isn’t a good team - and the numbers say they’re not - then why does scraping past them on the road count as a signature win?
This isn’t just about Alabama and Auburn, though. It’s about how the committee treats the sport’s power programs.
Time and again, we’ve seen the same trend: if you’re one of college football’s big brands, you’re going to get the benefit of the doubt. Alabama, Notre Dame, Texas, Georgia, Michigan, Ohio State - these are the schools that drive revenue, ratings, and national conversation.
And when it comes down to those razor-thin decisions in the rankings, that influence seems to matter.
Take Texas, for example. The Longhorns jumped ahead of Vanderbilt despite having an extra loss.
Meanwhile, BYU was positioned to be knocked out of the playoff picture entirely if they slipped against Texas Tech. The message is clear: if you’re not one of the sport’s heavyweights, you’re not getting the same safety net.
That said, maybe Auburn’s brand is doing just fine after all - at least in the eyes of the committee. If beating the Tigers on the road is still considered a meaningful accomplishment, despite the record and the coaching turnover, then perhaps their reputation still carries weight.
And looking ahead, there’s reason for Auburn fans to be optimistic. Alex Golesh, who had USF in the playoff conversation this season, is taking over on the Plains.
If he can bring that same energy and execution to Auburn, the Tigers could be right back in the thick of things by 2026.
For now, though, the debate rages on. Was Alabama’s narrow Iron Bowl win enough to justify jumping two playoff contenders?
Or was it just another example of the committee giving a blue-blood the benefit of the doubt? Either way, the playoff picture is shifting - and Alabama, as usual, is right in the middle of it.