Why is Alabama football ranked so high in first CFP rankings?
Alabama football may feel like its back is against the wall, that after two losses to Georgia and Tennessee that every game moving forward is a playoff game, a win-or-go-home game. But based on the College Football Playoff’s first set of 2026 rankings, the Crimson Tide is sitting pretty.
Alabama is the No. 5 team in the country, behind only Miami, Georgia, Utah and Indiana.
Alabama is the highest-ranked two-loss team, better than Texas, Ole Miss, Ohio State and Tennessee, which beat the Crimson Tide by 16 points at Neyland Stadium Oct. 17. Alabama sits ahead of one-loss teams like BYU, Notre Dame and Kentucky, which the Crimson Tide beat in Lexington Sept. 12. And Alabama sits ahead of undefeated UCLA.
Why is Alabama viewed so highly right now by the CFP committee?
On ESPN, Arkansas athletics director and CFP chair Hunter Yurachek mentioned the Crimson Tide’s "quality wins" at Kentucky and at home against South Carolina – two teams currently ranked in the top-25 – along with a road win against Mississippi State, ending the Bulldogs’ undefeated campaign.
When asked about Alabama’s loss to Tennessee and the eight-spot gap between the teams despite the head-to-head win for the Volunteers, Yurachek said the Volunteers don’t have "the same level of quality wins" as the Crimson Tide.
When asked about Alabama compared to one-loss teams like BYU and Notre Dame, and undefeated UCLA, Yurachek, on the CFP teleconference, mentions the quality wins against Kentucky, South Carolina and Mississippi State, but also that the Crimson Tide has played seven-of-eight games against teams that have a .500 record or better.
"That really came down to the quality of teams that Alabama has played and the quality of their wins," Yurachek said.
Regardless of where Alabama stands, the proving ground remains with the fifth-ranked Crimson Tide tasked with facing No. 14 LSU on the road at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 7.
Colin Gay covers Alabama football for The Tuscaloosa News, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at cgay@gannett.com or follow him @_ColinGay on X, formerly known as Twitter or Instagram @colingaytnews.
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Why is Alabama football ranked so high in first CFP rankings?
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