It’s still hard to get an accurate read on how good this Alabama Crimson Tide team is through three SEC and six total games. Outside of a shaky first half against USF, Alabama eventually rolled through the Bulls (42-16) as well as Western Kentucky (63-0) and Wisconsin (42-10).
In their SEC opener against No. 1 ranked Georgia, the Tide raced out to a 30-7 lead at the half and looked like the country’s clear-cut best team. The ensuing ten quarters have been quite poor as they held on 41-34 against the Bulldogs after getting outscored 27-11 in the second half.
The week following Kalen DeBoer’s first SEC victory against Georgia, he suffered his first loss, a shocking one on the road against Vanderbilt 35-40. While many people have considered it to be one of the worst Crimson Tide losses of the past 20 years, Vanderbilt is much improved from years past and a fringe Top 25 team.
The Tide responded with a narrow 27-25 victory over South Carolina this past weekend that came down to a late Germie Bernard score, a defensive two-point stand and a botched onside recovery.
Despite all of the ups and downs of the season so far, Alabama is still in a great spot to make the Playoff at 5-1 overall and 2-1 in the SEC. With a remaining schedule of at No. 11 Tennessee, vs. No. 19 Missouri, at No. 8 LSU, vs. Mercer, at Oklahoma and vs. Auburn the Tide will certainly have to earn their way into the final 12. But, they control their own destiny and that’s all you can ask for.
ESPN’s Playoff predictor gives the Crimson Tide a 69% chance to qualify, good for the sixth best odds. The Texas Longhorns hold the top spot with a 96% chance to make the Playoff.
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