30 games that will eventually decide the 12-team College Football Playoff

12. Missouri vs. Alabama: Oct. 26

It’s a whole new era is Tuscaloosa, as for the first time since 2006, the Alabama Crimson Tide will start a season with someone not named “Nick Saban” as head coach. However, there were no chances taken here. Alabama went all in, taking Kalen DeBoer from Washington. This isn’t someone with an Alabama pedigree. He’s not a guy who has ties to the program. He played his college ball at the University of Sioux Falls. He coached at Fresno State and Indiana before Washington. He was able to exploit strange bedfellows in the Pac 12 to take over that conference. Can he turn that into success in the SEC?

This game is going to be VERY important for DeBoer and the 2024 Crimson Tide. It’s inbetween three incredibly important games to this franchise. They play Tennessee on October 19th and LSU on November 9th (with a bye inbetween). Putting Missouri, a team that can often be overlooked despite its success, seems like a trap. Nick Saban knew a trap when he saw one. Does DeBoer?

Alabama is a legacy, and its ranking of five shows they are expected to be the same dominant Alabama team we’re used to seeing. However, by the time they play Missouri, they will already have a top-five matchup under their belt (barring a massive upset). They will be battle tested. Will they come in ready or exhausted?

If Missouri wins this game, just like that, they are in the Playoff conversation. It’s incredibly important for them, too. We’d have a lot more confidence if this game was on the road, but for now, it’s on the list.