The College Football Playoff Selection Committee wants to feel vindicated in placing Alabama at No. 3 entering Week 11 but despite a 21-6 win over Vanderbilt, the Crimson Tide's past results should, in theory, be dragging them down. Alabama has two ranked wins and two ranked losses, but the number of wins against teams that worked their way up into the rankings in recent weeks which should be scrutinized.
Alabama's victories over Kentucky and South Carolina early in the season are clearly the source of the committee's confidence in putting the Tide so high at this point. However, both of those opponents have come crashing down and should now be treated as less valuable. Kentucky (ranked No. 11 Saturday) suffered a second consecutive loss and dropped to 7-3. South Carolina (ranked No. 17) was blown out on the road by lowly Arkansas and dropped to 6-4.
Additionally, three more of Alabama's eight wins are looking less and less impressive after recent results. No. 21 LSU gave up a fourth-quarter lead to No. 6 Texas, earning a fourth loss, and both Mississippi State and Texas A&M are both under .500 at 4-6 after Week 11 losses. So, that's now five of eight wins that aren't impressive anymore. The other three victories were over East Carolina, Florida State and Vanderbilt — stat padders at best. The Tide's remaining two contests are against Chattanooga (seriously?) and Auburn.
Alabama doesn't deserve first-round CFP bye but committee has painted itself into a corner
So, how can the Selection Committee rank the SEC's second place team in a playoff spot outside the Top 4 without blowing up its entire (absurd) methodology? Well, it already has precedent from this year to help itself out of the difficult corner.
Will Alabama get the Indiana treatment?
— CFB Kings (@CFBKings) November 15, 2026
Alabama’s résumé:
South Carolina: Lost 34-6 to Arkansas
Kentucky: Lost 21-14 at home to Florida
LSU: Lost 22-21 at home to Texas
Miss State: Lost 41-9 at home to Auburn
A&M: Lost 22-7 at home to Tennessee
In Week 10, Indiana was ranked No. 4 but was on a bye so the committee decided that was reason enough to drop the Hoosiers five spots to No. 9. That was an insane thing to do but now that same reasoning can be used on Alabama for Week 12 when it plays FCS Chattanooga. That's practically a bye and would give the committee reason to move the Tide down to No. 5 given the lack of strength its resume now has.
According to ESPN's Football Power Index, Alabama has the sixth-best strength of record and strength of schedule. So, in what world does that mean UCLA (10-0) and Miami (9-1) should be ranked lower than the two-loss Crimson Tide? Wearing the SEC badge shouldn't count for that much.
The committee can't hide behind the SEC-is-so-good-it's-cannibalizing-itself argument anymore either. The Big 12 is cannibalizing itself too. Actually, the top team has a better record than current No. 1 Georgia while the next two trailers have one and two losses, respectively. The only reason anybody says SEC teams with multiple losses are better than non-SEC teams with one loss or less is only because the Associated Press voters have been pushing the SEC supremacy narrative for decades and, therefore, everyone just buys that argument.
However, we should all be bracing for Week 12 rankings that feature Alabama staying at worst No. 3, but it wouldn't be surprising if the committee starts to read tea leaves and slides the Tide down behind UCLA. It would be a start, but don't hold your breath that the committee suddenly grows a conscience.
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