The latest College Football Playoff rankings have football fans in an intense debate, especially on the teams outside of the top four.
Alabama did not move from its No. 8 spot in back-to-back weeks.
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The Crimson Tide earned impressive double-digit wins over LSU and Kentucky, but it was not enough to impress the CFP Committee. Alabama fans are concerned that if the Tide wins out, the Committee could keep it out of the playoff.
Nick Saban has witnessed his team play better, but the Tide needs help from two or three teams to lose.
Oregon, the No. 6 team in the playoff, is an interesting debate with Alabama.
Some national media pundits feel the Tide’s strength of schedule is better than the Ducks, and Alabama should be in front of Oregon. Others look at the Tide’s week two loss to Texas and early season struggles as a justifiable reason for it remaining stagnant at No. 8. Greg McElroy, a former Alabama quarterback, detailed on his Always College Football podcast how the Crimson Tide could jump Oregon to get into the playoff. He looks at the SEC Championship Game as Alabama’s best chance.
McElroy is in the camp that if Alabama beats No. 1 Georgia, it should jump Oregon in the CFP.
Who gets in: A one-loss Pac-12 winner in Oregon OR a one-loss SEC winner in Alabama who 𝙗𝙚𝙖𝙩 No. 1 Georgia?#RollTide | #GoDucks pic.twitter.com/NNRrhi89lS
— Always College Football (@AlwaysCFB) November 16, 2023
A victory over the Bulldogs would give the Tide four wins over teams in the top 25 of the CFP rankings. It defeated Ole Miss (No. 13), LSU (No. 15), and Tennessee (No. 18) by double digits. Alabama should get into the playoff with an SEC Championship win over Georgia — despite being a one-loss team. We will see how the CFP Committee plays it, but McElroy sees the Tide over Oregon if it knocks out Georgia.
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Stephen M. Smith is the managing editor and senior writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @CoachingMSmith.