Alabama fans were very upset at the time when the Crimson Tide suffered a 35-40 loss to Vanderbilt.
Some moved on from the moment, while a few others are still steaming from it.
RELATED: Former Alabama safety Roman Harper identifies glaring problem on Crimson Tide’s defense
It was not a pleasant situation, but did the loss to the Commodores actually help Alabama?
Heather Dinich, an ESPN College Football Playoff analyst, believes it did. She is stating that the CFP Committee, at some point, will not consider the Tide’s loss to Vandy as bad as it seemed at the time. This a different Vanderbilt team than what our parents and grandparents saw.
At some point, the committee might not consider @AlabamaFTBL loss to Vandy as bad as it seemed at the time. This is a different team under @Coach_Lea that was able to do something @OleMissFB could not – beat Kentucky. Vandy is No. 35 in FPI – ahead of Cal, Pitt, Nebraska, Utah
— Heather Dinich (@CFBHeather) October 16, 2024
Clark Lea has turned the program around in an incredible way. The Commodores are 4-2 with an impressive victories over Virginia Tech, Alabama, and Kentucky. Vandy is ranked 35th in ESPN’s Football Power Index (FPI), which is ahead of California, Pittsburgh, Nebraska, and Utah.
The Commodores have one conference loss to Missouri, who also has one conference loss to Texas A&M. As bad as it was at the time, the CFP Committee will see Alabama’s blemish as a quality loss and not a negative.
The Tide still has to handle business, but at least the loss to Vandy is not a detriment.
*Get the BEST Alabama football insider information, message board access, and recruiting coverage today! SIGN UP HERE to unlock our subscriber-only content!*
Stephen M. Smith is the senior writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @CoachingMSmith.
