The first College Football Playoff rankings of the season put Alabama and Tennessee on very different tracks, even though the Volunteers already handled the Crimson Tide on the field.
Tennessee beat Alabama 26-10 at home in Week 7, outgaining the Crimson Tide 347-201 in the process. But when the CFP unveiled its initial Top 25 on Tuesday night, Alabama landed at No. 5 while Tennessee showed up at No.
- Alabama is 6-2 overall and 4-2 in the SEC; Tennessee is also 6-2, with a 3-2 conference mark.
CFP chairman Hunter Yurachek tried to explain the gap during an appearance with ESPN’s Rece Davis, pointing to Alabama’s résumé.
"[Alabama] went on the road and beat the team we have ranked sixth this week in Kentucky," the former Arkansas Razorbacks athletics director said. "They also beat South Carolina, 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. ... Mississippi State, again, they had that quarterback [Kamario Taylor] that was very, very good and Mississippi State was on a roll at that time, so with those we see those as three quality wins."
Tennessee’s side of the ledger looks different, but not weak. The Volunteers have lost only to No.
7 Texas, 20-17, and No. 21 South Carolina, 27-24, and both games went down to the final moments.
Texas nearly let it slip after failing to recover an onside kick late in the fourth quarter, while South Carolina needed a field goal as time expired to win at home.
Even with Alabama’s stronger collection of wins, the head-to-head result is hard to ignore. Tennessee beat Alabama, and the committee’s eight-spot separation makes that result look like it barely mattered.
In Other News...
Mississippi State Faces A Get Right Game Neither Team Can Afford To Waste
Vanderbilt comes into its meeting with Mississippi State looking for a much-needed reset, and the Commodores will need a cleaner offensive showing to have any chance of turning the page. The rushing game has been a problem, which has put more pressure on the passing attack and on senior wide receiver Junior Sherrill, one of the most dependable targets in the offense.
For Mississippi State, the test is less about style points than whether the defense can handle a passing game that has been forced to carry too much of the load. Senior defensive back Kelley Jones and the Bulldogs secondary will be central to that effort, especially if Vanderbilt can find a rhythm through the air and make this one more competitive than the records might suggest. [Read more 🡒]
Mississippi State Suddenly Has A Jeff Lebby Problem On Offense
Mississippi States offense has hit a rough stretch at exactly the wrong time, with the Bulldogs mired in a four-game losing streak and struggling to find any consistent rhythm. The numbers tell the story as much as the eye test: over the last 11 quarters, the attack has managed just 1.36 points per quarter, a sharp drop for a team that needs stability to stay afloat in the SEC.
Injuries have only made the problem harder to manage, with the quarterback room taking hits and the game plan shrinking along with it. Jeff Lebby is now trying to steer an offense through a month that has not been kind to him, either, as his teams have yet to win an October game during his tenure, leaving Mississippi State with both immediate questions and a familiar seasonal hurdle to overcome. [Read more 🡒]
Mississippi State Homecoming Suddenly Feels Bigger Than Anyone Expected
Saturdays homecoming game against Vanderbilt at Davis Wade Stadium has taken on a little more weight than the calendar might suggest. Kickoff is set for 3:15 p.m. CT, and after four straight losses, Mississippi State is simply looking for a reset in front of a home crowd that will want something to feel good about. Even the market around the game reflects the moment, with resale tickets starting in the mid-$20s, a reminder that this is not the kind of marquee SEC draw that usually sends prices climbing.
Still, the setting gives the Bulldogs a chance to steady things in a game that feels more important than expected for both sides. Mississippi States quarterback picture is unsettled because of injuries, and Vanderbilt comes in with its own losing streak, so this has the feel of a matchup where momentum matters as much as record. For a homecoming weekend that was supposed to be about tradition and pageantry, the result may end up saying a lot more about where the Bulldogs go from here. [Read more 🡒]