This was the win Alabama needed to get insurance in the College Football Playoff race. Sure, taking down a rival on the road is always important, but this was about reclaiming confidence that they’re as good as they think they are. Alabama needed this win to prove to the College Football Playoff selection committee that even though their wins aren’t the best, they can win the games when they need to.Â
Taking down LSU gave Alabama the resume-boosting win they needed to validate them as a CFP contender. Even with a late season loss, the committee can look back and concur that this Crimson Tide team did everything they needed to this season to prove that even as a three-loss team, they deserve a shot at playing for a national championship.Â
Why Alabama needed to beat LSU
The selection committee loves big road wins. Alabama beating LSU in Baton Rouge is the type of win the committee wants to see from teams that don’t quite have the resume. Not that Alabama doesn’t, but Kentucky could hit a late-season slide and South Carolina is South Carolina — one of the most volatile teams in the SEC. One week they’re hot, the next they’re losing to a team they should be beating. This win negates all of that.Â
To make it even better, the Crimson Tide blew out LSU. After training 13-10, Alabama scored 21-straight points to take down LSU and strengthen their case. Keelon Russell looked really good, this Bama defense looked really good, it was just a convincing win all around. This game gets added to the dominant wins they’ve piled up this year. They dominated Kentucky and South Carolina as well.Â
Can Alabama get in as a three-loss team after dominating LSU?
Alabama is the only team in CFP history to get in as a three-loss team — they did it last season, though the third loss came in a conference championship game, not the regular season. The win over LSU essentially gives them a clear path to the College Football Playoff even if they have a late-season slip-up. For one, their path to the SEC title game opened up a bit more — especially with Ole Miss getting throttled early by Georgia — and Kentucky lost to Tennessee. Assuming Bama loses at least one more game, they won’t get knocked all the way out of the CFP field.Â
While the Kentucky game isn’t as prevalent for Alabama, Tennessee knocking off Kentucky makes it difficult to get into the SEC title game. Crimson Tide lost big to Tennessee meaning that head-to-head game could come into play both in CFP consideration if Bama loses and in SEC title game consideration.Â
It’s hard to see Bama not getting in even as a three-loss team because they now have the resume to prove they’re still one of the top teams. Had they lost to LSU, it would be a different story.Â
Will Alabama get to play for an SEC Championship this season?
It will be difficult for the Crimson Tide to land in the SEC title game if Kentucky loses. While they have the head-to-head win over the Wildcats, they have a loss to Tennessee, meaning as a two-loss conference team, the Volunteers will have the edge over both Bama and Kentucky. Georgia winning would eliminate Ole Miss from SEC title game contention and Texas has the head-to-head win over Tennessee.Â
Alabama still has a path to the SEC title game, but it will need a lot of help. Fortunately for them, beating LSU means they don’t have to worry about needing the SEC title game in order to get into the College Football Playoff like they did a year ago.Â
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