Alabama

CFP rankings: Why Alabama football is ranked No. 11

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The initial CFP rankings dropped Tuesday night, and Alabama football sat in the No. 11 spot.

That meant the Crimson Tide would be included in the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff field if the season ended today.

Alabama (6-2) would play No. 6 seed Texas (7-1) in a first-round game in Austin, Texas based on the initial rankings.

The Crimson Tide was ranked ahead of all other two-loss teams, and even a few one-loss teams such as No. 13 SMU, No. 17 Iowa State, No. 18 Pittsburgh and No. 21 Washington State.

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CFP committee chair Warde Manuel was asked on a teleconference call for the committee’s reasoning to put Alabama at No. 11 and the highest spot of any two-loss team.

“We obviously view them as the highest-ranked two-loss team at this time,” Manuel said. “The home win against Georgia was impressive. What they just did against Missouri, a 24th ranked Missouri team. The loss to Vanderbilt on the road at Vanderbilt was something that we also looked at as well as the road loss at Tennessee. Tennessee is ranked No. 7. They’re top 20 in scoring. Their defense is always solid, holding teams to less than 20 points per game. Those things impressed the committee.”

None of it will matter, however, if Alabama loses another game. Alabama will face LSU on Saturday, Nov. 9 (6:30 p.m. CT, ABC) in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The winner will keep its playoff hopes alive. The loser will all but be eliminated from CFP contention.

CFP rankings: Nov. 5

  1. Oregon (as Big Ten champion)
  2. Ohio State
  3. Georgia (as SEC champion)
  4. Miami (as ACC champion)
  5. Texas
  6. Penn State
  7. Tennessee
  8. Indiana
  9. BYU (as Big 12 champion)
  10. Notre Dame
  11. Alabama
  12. Boise State
  13. SMU
  14. Texas A&M
  15. LSU
  16. Ole Miss
  17. Iowa State
  18. Pitt
  19. Kansas State
  20. Colorado
  21. Washington State
  22. Louisville
  23. Clemson
  24. Missouri
  25. Army

Nick Kelly is an Alabama beat writer for AL.com and the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X and Instagram.





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