Alabama somehow comes in at No. 5 in CFP rankings, and the public wants to know why appeared first on ClutchPoints. Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The College Football Playoff selection committee is getting hammered for its decision to slot Alabama No. 5 in its first rankings of the season, as fans once again argue SEC bias and pick part the program’s credibility. Fans cannot process how Kalen DeBoer and company came in eight spots above a Tennessee squad that beat them decisively in Knoxville on Oct. 17 and owns the same record at 6-2. Social media is seeing red right now, and it is not the Crimson kind.
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“Alabama has pictures of somebody,” On3’s Blain Crain posted on X. “Lol. There is nothing Alabama has put on the field in the last three weeks that says they are a Top 5 team dawg,” Chris Marler opined. “Alabama at 5 is one of the most stunning things I’ve ever seen,” Brandon Walker of Barstool Sports remarked. “Forget about SEC bias. There’s like three SEC teams alone that should be ahead of them. In no way should they be above Ole Miss or Texas.”
“This committee is the worst, most non-sensical one yet,” former Florida State star quarterback Danny Kanell declared. “Alabama and Tennessee are both 6-2
Tennessee beat Bama 26-10. Completely dominated them. Tennessee’s two losses are by a FG or less. Bama is ranked #5. Tennessee is ranked #13.”
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Are these arguments valid?
It is admittedly hard to justify Tennessee being so much lower than the Crimson Tide, but analysts are also not giving Alabama’s credentials their due, nor are they properly taking context into consideration. A 45-17 road win over now-No. 6 Kentucky, a 49-18 victory versus a South Carolina squad that vaulted itself into the CFP rankings and a 56-23 trouncing of Kamario Taylor-led Mississippi State in Davis Wade Stadium are all impressive outcomes.
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A 20-17 home loss to Georgia, which was met with considerable controversy, also deserves a fair amount of attention when determining the rankings. The Tide suffered injuries versus Tennessee, but you cannot slap an asterisk on that one. The Volunteers outclassed Bama on that day. However, they also just lost to South Carolina. Ergo, this is not just a black-and-white situation.
What is clear, though, is that Alabama football has no losses versus anyone that currently resides outside the CFP top-15. Texas lost to Florida and Oklahoma. Undefeated UCLA’s best win came against Dante Moore-less Oregon (or Wisconsin). BYU fell to .500 UCF. Ole Miss got decimated by Florida in The Swamp (the Gators probably deserve more love, to be fair). Do the media and fans truly detest the No. 5 ranking? Or is an unprecedented amount of parity rattling everyone?
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If the Crimson Tide leave Baton Rouge with an L on Saturday or come up short in the Iron Bowl on Nov. 28, then the College Football Playoff selection committee will face heavy pressure to harshly penalize them. Bama has the power to prevent such a dilemma from taking shape, beginning with an upcoming battle versus LSU.
Related: Who got the worst of initial CFP rankings? Analysts think it’s Tennessee
Related: Why Brian Kelly is riding with Ole Miss vs. Georgia
