After what has been a roller coaster of a season for the Alabama Crimson Tide, the team still appears to have a great shot at the College Football Playoff despite finishing with three losses and not qualifying for the SEC Championship game.
The Tide came in at No. 11 in the latest batch of rankings on Tuesday night, trailed by Miami, Ole Miss, and South Carolina, all teams that do not play this weekend and are not going to be able to pass Alabama. The full rankings and bracket can be viewed here:
The 2nd to last CFP Rankings of the year have dropped: pic.twitter.com/smEiu2po4Z
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) December 4, 2024
The cut and dry at this point is that if the SMU Mustangs defeat the Clemson Tigers in the ACC Championship game on Saturday night, Alabama’s spot will be locked up. The Mustangs are a slight favorite but far from a lock to win. If Clemson wins, they are likely going to steal a bid and the situation becomes much murkier with SMU only having one loss entering the title game.
Alabama could still get in if that scenario plays out, but it would be significantly more nerve wracking for Alabama fans and significantly more controversial for fans of teams other than Alabama.
But for Tide fans it’s really a very simple equation. Root for SMU like your season depends on it, because chances are it does.
Michael Brauner is a Senior Sports Analyst and Contributing Writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @MBraunerWNSP and hear him every weekday morning from 6 to 9 a.m. on “The Opening Kickoff” on WNSP-FM 105.5, available free online.
