How Alabama can still make the College Football Playoff

The Alabama Crimson Tide wrapped up the regular season with a 9-3 record, finishing strong with an Iron Bowl win over Auburn. This victory helped the team bounce back from a humiliating loss to Oklahoma the previous week.

Although Alabama’s College Football Playoff hopes seemed slim heading into the season finale, the events of this week have opened a path for the Tide to remain in contention.

The most critical outcome was the Miami Hurricanes’ shocking loss to Syracuse, which not only knocked Miami out of the ACC title game but likely out of the 12-team playoff field as well. Ranked above Miami in the AP Poll, Alabama must hope to be placed ahead of the Hurricanes in the upcoming playoff rankings. To solidify their position, Alabama will also need to stay ahead of Ole Miss and South Carolina in the rankings.

If the Tide achieves that, they’ll be in a strong position. While it’s highly likely Alabama would face a tough road game against either Notre Dame or the loser of the Big Ten title game, they’d undoubtedly embrace the challenge.

However, Alabama still needs some help. Specifically, an SMU victory over Clemson in the ACC championship game would be pivotal. If SMU wins, Clemson would be eliminated with its fourth loss of the season, while SMU could still make a case with just one loss. Conversely, a Clemson win would complicate matters for Alabama.

Currently, Georgia, Texas, Ohio State, and Penn State are considered playoff locks. The Tide’s chances depend on how the final rankings shake out, but rooting for SMU next weekend is crucial for Alabama fans.

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