The latest College Football Playoff rankings put Alabama ahead of Tennessee again, and that decision is drawing plenty of side-eye.
On Tuesday, the CFP Top 25 moved Alabama to No. 3 and Tennessee to No. 8, even though the Crimson Tide lost to the Vols by 16 points in October and both teams are sitting at 7-2 heading into a pivotal Week 11. CFP rankings chairman Hunter Yurachek pointed to Alabama’s stronger strength of schedule when explaining the order, but that answer hasn’t landed with everyone.
SEC Nation’s Chase Daniel was among the loudest voices pushing back. The former Mizzou quarterback said Saturday morning that he’s “perplexed” by the placement, and he argued that the ranking gives Alabama a much cleaner path to the playoff than Tennessee despite the head-to-head result.
“Alabama is No. 3 with 2 losses. Tennessee is No. 8, and if I remember correctly guys, did Alabama and Tennessee play each other in a head-to head game?
So why in the world is Alabama 3 and Tennessee 8?” Daniel said.
“… You’re calling your good wins Kentucky, South Carolina, LSU. Here’s what this does and here’s my problem with it.
I think Tennessee should be a little higher, but if Alabama somehow, some way slips up, say they get into the SEC Championship game and lose. They’re in.
The committee is telling you they value their wins and they value that team. If Tennessee were to lose another game, the chances of them getting into the CFP is much lower… how in the world are they 5 spots higher?
I don’t get it. That, to me, is the most perplexing thing of these rankings.”
Alabama’s case is being built on what it has already done, not what it still has left. The Tide own three wins over teams currently in the top 25: Kentucky, South Carolina and LSU.
The committee also appears to be giving weight to Alabama’s win over Kamario Taylor and Mississippi State, even though Taylor was injured before the game and left early. Alabama does not have any top-25 matchups remaining.
Tennessee’s resume looks different. The Vols have top-25 wins over Alabama and Kentucky, and they still have LSU coming to Knoxville.
Tennessee owns the better head-to-head win between the two teams, but Alabama has more quality wins overall at this point. Tennessee’s loss to South Carolina also sits differently in the committee’s eyes than Alabama’s two losses to Georgia and Tennessee.
That’s the logic, at least for now.
If both teams finish the regular season at 10-2, the argument gets a lot simpler. Under that scenario, Alabama and Tennessee would each have three top-25 wins and two top-25 losses, assuming the current rankings hold. At that point, the head-to-head result would be hard to ignore.
Until then, it’s all speculation and what-ifs.
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