On Tuesday, the College Football Playoff Committee released its first set of rankings of the season, with Alabama checking in at No. 8, the same ranking the AP poll gave the Crimson Tide.
To the common eye, seeing Alabama at No. 8 is a sign that the team is not as invincible as in days past. For Crimson Tide fans, though, seeing the team this high is a promising sign.
The main factor that contributed to this ranking was the Crimson Tide’s 34-24 loss to the now-No. 7 Texas Longhorns at home on Sept. 9. This defeat showcased the early struggles the team has since overcome, such as penalties and turnovers racking up.
As the weeks have passed, the Crimson Tide has worked diligently to reclaim its status as a championship contender. Alabama won several crucial matchups, including then-No. 15 Ole Miss, Texas A&M and then-No. 17 Tennessee, among others.
The Crimson Tide’s offense has shown that it can fire on all cylinders, albeit inconsistently. At this point in the season, the defense and special teams have been able to clean up any errors the offense may make.
Alabama’s seemingly low ranking appears to be a common theme in this chaos-filled college football season so far. Many other teams are in the rankings for the first time in many years, including the Kansas Jayhawks, who are ranked in the CFP poll for the first time ever.
Alabama is not the only SEC team ranked. There are a total of six SEC teams in the first CFP poll of 2023, tied for the most with the Pac-12. Georgia, Ole Miss, Missouri, LSU and Tennessee are the other ranked SEC teams.
As the season enters the home stretch, it is clear that the SEC will present a challenge each week, and Alabama is no stranger to tests.
The Crimson Tide will face one of these tests when LSU comes to town Nov. 4 at Bryant-Denny Stadium at 6:45 p.m. This game will be major in terms of determining not only next week’s CFP poll, but the rest of the year’s as well as SEC supremacy.
