When the Alabama Crimson Tide got rolled by the Ole Miss Rebels at home, a lot of people had written them off. At the time, there had been so many other teams ahead of them that it looked like a one-loss team would have a hard time getting into the college football playoff.
However, the Tide have strung together three straight wins and they’ve seen a number of teams in front of them also slip up. With six games left – including meetings with the two remaining undefeated teams from the SEC West – the road to getting back in the College Football Playoff picture has become much clearer than it was even a couple of weeks ago. There’s an opening now. Here is a look at what has to happen for Alabama to make this year’s College Football Playoff.
Alabama Must Win Out
One loss could have very well ended a team from a smaller conference’s hopes of reaching the College Football Playoff but the loaded SEC is guaranteed at least one playoff spot. An 11-1 record might be good enough for Alabama to get in.
That would mean the Tide would have to go undefeated the rest of the way, including wins over the two remaining undefeated teams from the SEC West in Texas A&M and LSU. Fans won’t have to wait long for the first half of that equation to play out as they visit College Station this weekend and if Alabama could find a way to pick up the victory on Saturday, it could provide the team with a confidence and momentum boost heading in to back-to-back home games against Tennessee and LSU.
The Aggies and Tigers will both present difference challenges for the Tide but they do get LSU at home coming off a bye week that will give them an extra seven days to prepare. There is no such thing as a week off in the SEC and Alabama won’t be able to overlook its season finale at Auburn in the Iron Bowl, but if they can find a way to beat Texas A&M and LSU, they will find themselves squarely back in the College Football Playoff picture.
Help From Outside
There is currently one other undefeated SEC team from the East division that the Tide won’t play and that means they will likely need some help from outside. Florida is currently undefeated, so the Tide will be hoping that they hit a landmine – possibly as early as this week at LSU. Only one of those teams will remain undefeated and Alabama will likely be hoping that LSU can end the Gators’ perfect run this weekend – especially since the Gators lost their starting quarterback to suspension this week.
That would set up a home date with the Tigers in which they will have the opportunity to end the Tigers undefeated run. Florida is the only SEC contender that the Tide won’t play and considering the Gators will play Georgia, Vanderbilt, South Carolina, Florida Atlantic and Florida State the rest of the way, LSU could very well hold the key to Alabama climbing back in to playoff consideration.
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Upsets, Upsets, Upsets
Alabama, Michigan, Ole Miss, Notre Dame, Stanford, UCLA and Oklahoma all have one loss and while an SEC team with a single defeat would probably still earn a playoff berth, the Tide have to be hoping for more upsets at the top. Baylor and TCU will play in their penultimate games of the Big 12 season, so at least one of those teams is bound to lose while Ohio State’s uninspiring start combined with surges from the Wolverines and the Michigan State Spartans has created optimism that one of those Big Ten teams could upset the Buckeyes.
The more movement there is at the top the greater the opportunity is for Alabama to climb back in to the playoff picture. They have to be hoping for upsets with a long road ahead to the College Football Playoff.
