Should Alabama jump Clemson after narrow victory over Syracuse?

Clemson nearly losing at home to Syracuse could allow Alabama to leapfrog them in the next college football rankings.

While a win is a win, Clemson fans may need to prepare for a slight downtick in the next college football rankings after the Syracuse game, especially if Alabama bounces back in a big way vs. Mississippi State.

The latest AP Top 25 Poll had the Tigers ranked No. 5 and the Crimson Tide right behind them at No. 6. Alabama was the highest ranked one-loss team in the country, only 104 points off the Tiger’s pace. Although some AP voters will reward Clemson for handing the No. 14 team in the nation its first loss at home, others will recognize that the Orange blew it more than anything…

So what is it going to take for the Crimson Tide to swap places with the Tigers to come in at No. 5?

Clemson survives Syracuse: Could Alabama jump Tigers in next AP Top 25 Poll?

Even if it was ugly at times in Death Valley, Clemson still found a way to beat an undefeated divisional foe at home in a tough spot. The Tigers still won 27-21, overcoming a 21-10 deficit at the half. They had to make a change at quarterback, as junior D.J. Uiagalelei was benched in favor of freshman Cade Klubnik. All the while, Dino Babers’ team completely melted down after the half.

Regardless, it is still highly unlikely that Alabama jumps Clemson in the next AP Poll. The Crimson Tide would need to beat No. 24 Mississippi State at home decidedly, but probably not blow the Bulldogs out. Mississippi State is not on Syracuse’s level this season, but Alabama would need a theoretical bounce-back win at home over Mike Leach’s team to be seen as one of great quality.

Admittedly, this is not what Alabama can do as much as it is what Clemson has already done. With a home win over the Orange, the Tigers have pretty much booked their tickets to Charlotte as the de facto ACC Atlantic champions. They now have the head-to-head tiebreaker over divisional foes Florida State, North Carolina State, Wake Forest and now Syracuse. This is simply undeniable here.

As for Alabama, the Crimson Tide have a conference loss, albeit on the road by a field goal to a cross-divisional rival in Tennessee. They have also nearly suffered two other defeats this year at the hands of Texas and Texas A&M. We also need to factor in them having an incredibly tough time vs. Arkansas in Fayetteville before Georgia Tech transfer running back Jahmyr Gibbs took over late.

While there is a chance that Alabama could leapfrog Clemson down the line, it probably will not happen after this week. Again it really comes down to how this year’s 90 Mile Drive shakes out. God forbid, Nick Saban and his boys lose to those who raid some air. Tuscaloosa would be in full-blown meltdown mode if that were the case. Then again, Leach has slayed some giants before…

Alabama may cut into the 104-point deficit with a strong Week 8 win, but that will not be enough.

For more College Football news, analysis, opinion and unique coverage by FanSided, including Heisman Trophy and College Football Playoff rankings, be sure to bookmark these pages.