With the 2023 offseason officially underway, take a look at 10 teams that could start the season with serious CFP chances.
This season was almost a walk in the park for the Georgia Bulldogs, capped by their cruising to a 65-7 victory over TCU in the national championship game.
However, that situation could change next season as teams will vie for a spot in the College Football Playoff.
A few programs that seem to always be in the mix are Alabama, Michigan, Ohio State, Clemson and Georgia. They have proven, sustained success over the years. It shows the program’s culture and identity.
Roll Tide Wire takes a look at 10 of the programs that have a realistic chance of reaching the College Football Playoff in 2023.
LOOK: Alabama has arrived in Texas for Cotton Bowl
It has been more than three weeks since Alabama stepped between the white lines of a football field for a contest. Now, we are just five days away from the kickoff of the semifinal matchup with Cincinnati in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic.
Alabama made the trip from Tuscaloosa to Dallas today to prepare for game week.
The Tide has hopes of defeating the Bearcats in order to face off against the winner of the Capital One Orange Bowl between Georgia and Michigan for the National Championship in Indianapolis on January 10.
You can watch Alabama take on Cincinnati on December 31 at 2:30 p.m. CT on ESPN.
Stay tuned to Roll Tide Wire for all the latest on the Crimson Tide!
Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Stacey Blackwood on Twitter @Blackwood89.
Alabama will have to slow down a familiar face in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic.
Alabama is set to battle the Cincinnati Bearcats in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic on December 31. This will mark the first time in playoff history that a Group of 5 school has made it to the College Football Playoff.
The Bearcats will present several challenges on each side of the ball to the Crimson Tide when we get to the New Year’s Eve matchup.
Quarterback Desmond Ridder is a talented player who can beat you with both his arm and his legs.
Defensively, the Bearcats will attack and rely on their star defensive backs to shut down the Alabama passing attack.
In my mind of the keys to the game will be how well Alabama defends the run.
Cincinnati has a great rushing attack led by former Alabama running back Jerome Ford.
Ford has had a phenomenal junior season for the Bearcats. On the season, Ford has amassed 1,242 rushing yards and 19 touchdowns while averaging a whopping 6.2 yards per carry.
Ford has been a home run hitter for the Bearcats this season. He has two runs of 79 yards on the season plus additional runs of 43, 50, and 75.
Alabama will need to contain the explosive Ford to keep the Bearcat offense in check.
Kickoff for the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic is set for 2:30 p.m. CT on ESPN.
Stay tuned to Roll Tide Wire for all the latest on the Crimson Tide!
Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Stacey Blackwood on Twitter @Blackwood89
“With recent schedule changes for the regular season, it makes sense for the committee to make its final rankings after the conference championship games, when it can get a complete picture of the season. The selection committee members understand the need to be flexible as we all navigate uncharted waters this season, and this move will allow them to evaluate all the available information.”
Here are the updated CFB Playoff ranking dates:
Tuesday, November 17
Tuesday, November 24
Tuesday, December 1
Tuesday, December 8
Tuesday, December 15
And finally, the College Football Playoff (CFP) selection committee will release the final rankings of the 2020-2021 season on Sunday, December 20.
This original release date was scheduled for December 6th, but given the current situation with the coronavirus, the final rankings were moved back two weeks to accommodate the conference championships which are being played on either December 12, 18, or 19th.
The 4 teams chose to play in the playoff will face-off in two bowl games: the Rose Bowl Game and Sugar Bowl, and the national championship game will be played on Monday, January 11, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.
Roll Tide Wire will keep you up to date on the very latest!
The former Alabama offensive coordinator/current Ole Miss Rebels head coach posted a funny picture on Twitter poking fun at the Crimson Tide
Despite the current unknowns and events surrounding the (hopeful) season of college football this fall, Lane Kiffin found a way to bring in some humor during a time of uncertainty and doubt.
The former Alabama offensive coordinator and current Ole Miss Rebels head coach posted a funny picture on Twitter poking fun at the Crimson Tide.
The picture is of course no other than a memory of Alabama’s 23-17 loss in Oxford, Mississippi in 2014.
The loss of course stunned Alabama as they were the No. 1 team in the nation coming into the matchup, and were favored to win by a large margin.
It was Ole Miss’ first win against Alabama since 2003.
The Tide finished the season 11-2 after losing to Ohio State 42-35 in the Sugar Bowl.
Kiffin, who just signed a four-year deal worth $16.2 million is one of the former assistant coaches Nick Saban and the Alabama Crimson Tide will face next year.
Kiffin is currently 0-1 against Saban after the 2009 loss Tennessee had against Alabama when Kiffin was the head coach at Tennessee .
Paul Finebaum shared how the SEC isn’t giving up, and what steps they’re taking to keep the chance to play this fall alive.
If you’re a college football fans, there’s no doubt you’re on pins and needles waiting for news as for what this season holds.
On Monday morning, reports began surfacing of news of the Big 12 and Pac 12 cancelling their season.
The Dan Patrick Show then tweeted that “According to Dan’s source, 12 of the 14 Presidents from the Big 10 have voted against having a Fall College Football season. Iowa and Nebraska were the two that have been pushing to play.”
But Patrick went on to share that the SEC wasn’t giving up so easily and that the “The SEC is looking for teams to join them. And the SEC is looking at exclusive TV contracts.”
He’s not alone in saying that.
During an appearance on ESPN morning show “Get Up” on Monday morning, Finebaum shared that:
“As far as pushback, yes there is plenty of pushback. I talked to an SEC source yesterday who said, ‘We’re still planning on playing. We have our schedule release coming up in a couple of days.
Remember, Friday night the SEC released the two additional conference games, so it just shows the incredible disconnect that we’ve talked about for three months, that is now mushroomed and has literally put everything on edge. As someone else told me early this morning, the college football season is not dead, it’s just on life support right now.”
At this point, it might just the SEC and one or two more conferences, or it might just be the SEC.
Simply put, the SEC isn’t giving up.
Not anytime soon at least.
There’s a lot of unknowns still needing to be answered, but at least we know there’s one conference still fighting to games to be played this fall: the SEC.
Roll Tide Wire will keep you up to date with the very latest!
The BIG 10 and PAC 12 are looking to cancel the 2020 CFB season, but the SEC is looking to play this fall, even looking to buy TV time.
The hope for a college football season this fall seems to be diminishing according to many reports. After the MAC conference became the first FBS conference to cancel its fall season, reports have continued to surface that Power Five conferences were going to follow suit.
CBS Sports spoke with several Power Five athletic director who shared it’s a matter of when, not if the season is cancelled:
“It’s not fair what we’re doing to our coaches and student-athletes. The sooner we can come to a finality, the better.
I’m of the opinion it’s when, not if [the 2020 season is canceled. The MAC announcement adds more momentum to the finish line. I think everyone’s medical group is now all telling them the same thing. We all keep having the same conversations.”
Another athletic director had this to say:
“I think it’s inevitable [the season will not be played in the fall].
The Pac-12 will be next and then the Big Ten. The Big Ten just going to no contact, what’s that going to do for you? With California being so prominent [with the coronavirus], I see the Pac-12 getting out there next.”
But according to Dan Patrick, the SEC isn’t giving up so easily.
Dan tweeted that, “According to Dan’s source, 12 of the 14 Presidents from the Big 10 have voted against having a Fall College Football season. Iowa and Nebraska were the two that have been pushing to play.”
He also shared that the PAC 12 and Big 10 is cancelling.
But even so, the SEC is fighting to play.
DP was told an hour ago that the Big 10 and Pac 12 will cancel their football seasons tomorrow… The ACC and the Big 12 are on the fence.. And the SEC is trying to get teams to join them for a season.
“The SEC is looking for teams to join them. And the SEC is looking at exclusive TV contracts.”
Dan Patrick went on to say that the “SEC is trying to buy time to see if the ACC or BIG 12 will go along with them.”
At this point, it might just the SEC and one or two more conferences, or it might just be the SEC.
Is it worth it? Maybe so.
And could the SEC have their own playoff with the top two teams in the East and in the West?
There’s a lot of unknowns still needing to be answered, but at least we know there’s one conference still fighting to games to be played this fall: the SEC.
Roll Tide Wire will keep you up to date with the very latest!
Join us as we count down the days until Georgia kicks off in Atlanta!
There are 59 days until Georgia football kicks off versus Virginia in Atlanta on Sept. 7.
Instead of spotlighting No. 59, let’s take a look back at Georgia’s 1959 football season.
Led by head coach, College Football Hall of Famer Wallace Butts, the 1959 Bulldogs football team went a perfect 7-0 in conference play, 10-1 overall and defeated Missouri in the Orange Bowl – their only loss to South Carolina (ACC) . They finished No. 5 in the AP Poll with star quarterback, future NFL Hall of Famer Frank Tarkenton as Georgia’s most valuable player.
247Sports released their 2020 preseason 2020 College Football bowl projections, and Alabama will make it back to the CFB Playoff.
We are just a few months away from the (hopeful) start of college football. Until then, we are occupying our time with NFL Mocks, schedule predictions, player spotlight, and now, a 2020 CFB Bowl Prediction.
247Sports released their 2020 preseason 2020 College Football bowl projections, and according to 247Sports, Alabama will make it back to the CFB Playoff.
January 7, 2019; Santa Clara, CA, USA; Clemson Tigers wide receiver Justyn Ross (8) runs against Alabama Crimson Tide linebacker Dylan Moses (32) during the third quarter of the 2019 College Football Playoff Championship game at Levi’s Stadium. Clemson defeated Alabama 44-16. Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
This is good news for Alabama fans who witnessed the Crimson Tide miss the CFB playoff this season for the first time in the CFB Playoff’s existence.
According to 247Sports, the Crimson Tide will face Clemson in the Sugar Bowl.
“In our own preseason bowl picks, we’ve projected Georgia to win the East but losing in Atlanta to Alabama for a second time this fall — thus pushing the Bulldogs out of the final four picture. In this scenario however, it appears Georgia’s only loss of the season will come to the Crimson Tide in the much-anticipated rematch in December after Kirby Smart’s team “upsets” Alabama in Tuscaloosa early. Clemson vs. Alabama, again, is a matchup that didn’t live up to its billing last time around.”
Also in the CFB Playoff will be Georgia and Ohio State.
Will we really see 2 SEC teams in the CFB Playoff again?
And could we see a round 2 of a Georgia/Alabama national championship game?
Jan 8, 2018; Atlanta, GA, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide wide receiver DeVonta Smith (6) catches the game-winning touchdown during overtime against the Georgia Bulldogs in the 2018 CFP national championship college football game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Butch Dill-USA TODAY Sports
That would be epic to see!
But 247 Sports sees Alabama and Ohio State facing off in the national title game. Which let’s be honest, that would be just as exciting to watch as well!
Alabama will have a tough season ahead of them. Not only do they open up with USC on September 5th, they also face Georgia on September 19th, LSU, and Auburn.
But with the return of RB Mac Jones, Najee Harris, WR Devonta Smith, and several key players on defense, the Crimson Tide looks to be a team that could not only make it back to the CFB Playoff, but win a national title. And that’s something that Alabama has been trying to do since 2017.
2009, 2011, 2012, and 2015 all had an offense built around a pro-style quarterback and a solid running game. Let’s dig deeper.
When you take a look at the 5 national championships that Alabama has won since Nick Saban arrived in Tuscaloosa in 2007, all but one have one major thing in common. What is it you ask? The offensive game plan.
2009, 2011, 2012, and 2015 all had an offense built around a pro-style quarterback and a solid running game. Let’s dig deeper.
In 2009, Alabama’s quarterback was Greg McElroy who went 198/325 for 2,508 yards, 17 TDs, and 4 interceptions. The backfield for Alabama was led by Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram as well as Trent Richardson. In 2009, Ingram ran for over 1,600 yards and Richardson had over 750 yards himself. There were only three games where Alabama had more passing yards than rushing, and even in those games, the margins were pretty close. In the national title game against Texas, McElroy only had 58 yards passing, while Alabama, led by Ingram, had over 200 yards rushing to win the national title. For the season, the Crimson Tide attempted 601 rushing plays while only attempting 346 passing plays.
Nick Saban and Alabama after beating Texas on Jan. 7, 2010. (Photo: Gary A. Vasquez, USA TODAY Sports)
In 2011, Alabama’s quarterback was AJ McCarron who went 219/328 for 2,634 yards for 16 TDs and 5 interceptions. Trent Richardson, Eddie Lacy, and Jalston Fowler were the 3 main running backs who helped lead Alabama to a comeback victory over LSU to win the 2011 National Championship. Although the Tide has 6 games with more passing yards than rushing, the margins were still, very close. Alabama ended up attempting 508 rushing plays, and only 357 pass plays.
Nov 12, 2011; Starkville, MS, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback A.J. McCarron (10) pitches the ball to running back Trent Richardson (3) during the game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Davis Wade Stadium Stadium. Alabama defeated Mississippi State 24-7. Spruce Derden-USA TODAY Sports
The following year in 2012, McCarron was still the starting quarterback, but now Alabama had two incredible and dominant running backs in the backfield: Eddie Lacy and T.J. Yeldon who both recorded over 1100 yards that season. Lacy had 1,322 yards and Yeldon had 1,108 yards. Incredible. McCarron finished the season with over 2,400 yards passing, 30 TDs, and only 3 interceptions. Alabama once again showcased its dominance on the ground as the Tide had 5 games with more passing than rushing and finished the season with 570 rushing plays and 328 passing plays.
Dec 1, 2012; Atlanta, GA, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback A.J. McCarron (10) hands the ball off to running back Eddie Lacy (42) against the Georgia Bulldogs during the first quarter of the 2012 SEC Championship game at the Georgia Dome. Daniel Shirey-USA TODAY Sports
The 2015 national championship season was led by Jake Coker, a Florida State transfer who became known and loved by Alabama fans, especially after winning the Tide’s first national title since 2012. He recorded impressive numbers as he went 263/393 for 3,110 yards, 21 TDs, and 8 interceptions. But even with his impressive numbers, the Tide excelled on the ground. Led by Derrick Henry and Kenyan Drake, the Tide was unstoppable. Henry finished the season with 2,219 yards and 28 TDs on his way to winning the 2015 Heisman Trophy. Although the Tide had more yards passing than rushing, it was only by 500 yards. And there were over 200 more attempts rushing than passing.
Dec 31, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide running back Derrick Henry (2) runs with the ball against Michigan State Spartans linebacker Darien Harris (45) defensive end Joel Heath (92) and cornerback Arjen Colquhoun (36) in the third quarter in the 2015 CFP semifinal at the Cotton Bowl at AT&T Stadium. Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
Those 4 years were “run it down their throat” football. Then came dual threat quarterback Jalen Hurts, and after him came Tua Tagovailoa.
Both of these quarterbacks changed the offensive setup at Alabama, especially Tagovailoa.
In 2016, Alabama still had more attempts at rushing than passing, but a lot of that was due to Hurts’ ability to be a dual-threat quarterback. By the end of the season, Hurts had 2,780 yards passing for 23 TDs and 9 Int. He also had 954 yards rushing for 13 TDs. The Tide had 3 main running backs in 2016 that dominated: Bo Scarbrough, Damien Harris, and Joshua Jacobs.
Dec 31, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Jalen Hurts (2) reacts after an Alabama touchdown against the Washington Huskies during the fourth quarter in the 2016 CFP semifinal at the Peach Bowl at the Georgia Dome. Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
2017 was the season the change truly began for Alabama. Hurts led Alabama to the national championship where Tagovailoa took over in the second half and won with the infamous “2nd and 26” game ending touchdown. Statistically, the stats were similar to 2016. Hurts finished the season with over 2000 yards passing and 800 yards rushing for 25 total TDs.
Jan 8, 2018; Atlanta, GA, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide wide receiver DeVonta Smith (6) catches the game-winning touchdown during overtime against the Georgia Bulldogs in the 2018 CFP national championship college football game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Butch Dill-USA TODAY Sports
But once Tagovailoa took over in 2018, things changed.
In 2018, it was the first time since 2010 that a single Alabama running back didn’t record over 900 yards. Some seasons such as 2012, even 2 running backs had over 1,000 yards rushing. It didn’t seem like a huge change at the time, but looking back, it was. Tagovailoa finished the season with 3,966 yards passing and 43 touchdowns, the most passing yards since Blake Sims in 2014. Alabama running back Damien Harris was the leading rusher that season with 876 yards and 9 TDs. Although there were more attempts rushing, Alabama almost had 2x the amount of passing yards than rushing yards.
Dec 29, 2018; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (13) reacts after a touchdown against the Oklahoma Sooners in the 2018 Orange Bowl college football playoff semifinal game at Hard Rock Stadium. Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
In 2019, Alabama once again had almost double the passing yards than rushing yards. Tagovailoa endured a season ending injury, but still managed to record 2,840 yards passing for 33 TDs and 3 interceptions. Mac Jones also recorded 1,503 yards passing for 14 TDs and 3 interceptions. On the ground, Najee Harris did rack up over 1,200 yards rushing, but it was far less than previous years. It was very evident Alabama was relying on their passing game more than the running game.
Even when Alabama won the national title in 2017, the Tide was still able to record more rushing yards than passing. Sure, a lot of that had to do with Jalen Hurts, but Damien Harris also had 1,000 rushing yards, even with Hurts’ 855 rushing yards.
Jan 9, 2017; Tampa, FL, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide team members huddle during the first quarter against the Clemson Tigers in the 2017 College Football Playoff National Championship Game at Raymond James Stadium. John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports
All of that to say this, Alabama is used to winning national titles under Nick Saban with a pro-style quarterback and with a dominant running game.
You can see a clear difference in the Tide’s season last year. Before Tagovailoa got hurt, Alabama always had more passing attempts than rushing. But with Mac Jones as QB1, all but one game had more run plays than passing.
People have continued to doubt and criticize Mac Jones, but in all honesty, he could be the guy to help Alabama win it all.
Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports
People forget that it was Jalen Hurts who led Alabama to the national championship in 2017, it was just Tagovailoa who sealed the deal in the second half.
Mac Jones is a great quarterback. There were so many moments last season where we saw his ability to be a great leader and passer.
Jones handled the task as well as anyone could have in such a position. Sure, there were mistakes, but, overall, even his teammates were impressed and confident in Jones’ playmaking abilities. But Jones was never given the credit he deserved. Throughout the season, he was simply labeled and seen as “Tua’s backup.” Even CBS’ announcers would continue to say several times a game, “Jones is no Tagovailoa.” They’re right, he’s not. But there’s nothing wrong with not being Tagovailoa.
Nov 30, 2019; Auburn, AL, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Mac Jones (10) reacts after a three-point attempt is good during the first quarter against the Auburn Tigers at Jordan-Hare Stadium. John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports
By end of the season, Jones had a quarterback rating (186.8) that ranks as the highest of any returning signal-caller (minimum four starts) in the SEC for 2020, which is amazing considering his only four starts were this past season.
When you take into consideration the fact that Alabama will have a quarterback in Jones who we know can throw the ball deep downfield with the backfield they have returning led by Najee Harris, this season has the vibes of 2015, maybe even 2012. Both times, McCarron and Coker had impressive stats, but so did the running game, and honestly, that’s what Alabama needs to get back to.
There’s no denying that Bryce Young is a great quarterback, but I think Jones is the guy for the job this year. Maybe Jones will have an incredible performance like Jake Coker did in 2015, or maybe Young will come in and replace him as QB1.
Oct 19, 2019; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Mac Jones (10) throws a pass as Tennessee Volunteers linebacker Darrell Taylor (19) applies pressure during the second half of an NCAA football game at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Butch Dill-USA TODAY Sports
Only time will tell.
But Alabama has the tools they need to win a national title this year. They have incredible talent returning on both sides of the ball along with an impressive signing class.
I wouldn’t be shocked if both Najee Harris and Mac Jones are Heisman contenders this season. And you can look for this to be Harris’ best season, by far.
Regardless, this is going to be an epic season to watch. And who knows, maybe, just maybe, Alabama will rise to the top once again as the best college football team in the country.
Jan 8, 2018; Atlanta, GA, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide wide receiver DeVonta Smith (6) celebrates after catching the game-winning touchdown in overtime against the Georgia Bulldogs in the 2018 CFP national championship college football game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
