Alabama football may not have played on Saturday, but they also didn’t forfeit their position in either of the major polls.
However, neither the USA TODAY AFCA Coaches Poll or the AP Poll are going to matter as much when the College Football Playoff selection committee reveals their first rankings of the season on Tuesday.
The SEC West division title remains the Crimson Tide’s to lose. With a 4-1 conference record they’re sitting at first place in the division. Simply winning out will suffice in ensuring Alabama earns their spot in the SEC Championship Game on Dec. 4 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, GA.
In the East, the Georgia Bulldogs clinched the division title after a 34-7 win over Florida improved their conference record to 6-0. With Kentucky’s 31-17 loss on Saturday night to unranked Mississippi State, their conferenxe record and SEC championship hopes both fell.
Now, the Tide must take care of business. LSU will come to town on Saturday in a game that many may not assume to be a good one.
Unranked Arkansas and No. 12 ranked Auburn are the remaining SEC opponents for the Tide. While Arkansas doesn’t appear to be the game we thought it might be early in the season, it doesn’t change the fact that it’s an SEC opponent. SEC competition is fierce and the Tide get their opponents’ best week in and week out.
As far as Auburn goes, this game should be a “barn-burner,” QB Bo Nix is peaking at the right time and making good decisions, but will his consistency hold up?
The Tide can easily make the CFP by taking care of what’s ahead of them. Beating LSU, Arkansas and Auburn will secure them a spot to play against Georgia in Atlanta. A win against all four would all but guarantee a spot in the top-four of the CFP rankings for the Crimson Tide.
The first CFP Rankings will be released at 6 p.m. CT on ESPN.
Alabama will play LSU on Saturday at 6 p.m. CT and can be viewed on ESPN.
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