As ugly as the past two weeks have been for Alabama, the Crimson Tide are still in good shape to reach the College Football Playoff, one national analyst believes.
Back-to-back losses to Georgia and Tennessee, which saw Alabama score just 10 points over its last six quarters, haven't changed USA TODAY Sports analyst Erick Smith's mind about the Crimson Tide being in the final 12-team playoff field in December.
Smith's updated College Football Playoff projections entering Week 8 have Alabama nabbing an at-large spot as the No. 11 seed.
He sees the Crimson Tide facing a fellow SEC opponent and a one-time annual rival in the first round: the projected No. 6 seed Ole Miss Rebels at Vaught Hemingway Stadium in Oxford.
On the heels of a chaotic Saturday
where five of the top-8 teams in the US LBM Coaches Poll and AP Top 25 all lost, including Alabama's 26-10 dud on Rocky Top, Smith said of the playoff picture entering Week 8:
"(W)ith several contenders losing and not a ton of replacement candidates available, there just isn't a lot different to the picture except for the seedings. The second half of the season is shaping up to have many twists and turns. The losses by SEC contenders increase the likelihood of 9-3 teams being in the mix for at-large spots. Those teams could be competing with one- or two-loss teams from the ACC and Big 12 in what should be a challenging situation for the committee."
Smith isn't the only one who likes Alabama's chances. CBS Sports projects the Crimson Tide as a No. 9 seed in its latest playoff outlook, pitting Alabama against No. 8 seed UCLA in a first-round game at the Rose Bowl.
Alabama (5-2, 3-2 SEC) is ranked No. 13 in the Coaches Poll and the AP Top 25. The Crimson Tide face the Texas A&M Aggies (4-3, 1-3) at Bryant-Denny Stadium Saturday.
Kickoff for Alabama-Texas A&M is 2:30 p.m. CT. The game can be seen on ABC.
When was the last time Alabama lost three consecutive games?
— Roll Tide Wire (@RollTideWire) October 20, 2026
📸 Jason Parkhurst-US PRESSWIRE, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect https://t.co/MxVjuOaTnt pic.twitter.com/l74FzM6XRl
Alabama football schedule 2026
All times Central.
- Sept. 5: vs. East Carolina Pirates (W, 48-10)
- Sept. 12: at Kentucky Wildcats (W, 45-17)
- Sept. 19: vs. Florida State Seminoles (W, 50-36)
- Sept. 26: vs. South Carolina Gamecocks (W, 49-18)
- Oct. 3: at Mississippi State Bulldogs (W, 56-23)
- Oct. 10: vs. Georgia Bulldogs (L, 20-17)
- Oct. 17: at Tennessee Volunteers (L, 26-10)
- Oct. 24: vs. Texas A&M Aggies, 2:30 p.m., ABC
- Nov. 7: at LSU Tigers, TBA
- Nov. 14: at Vanderbilt Commodores, TBA
- Nov. 21: vs. Chattanooga Mocs, 1 p.m., SEC Network+
- Nov. 28: vs. Auburn Tigers, TBA
Record: 5-2 overall, 3-2.
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This article originally appeared on Roll Tide Wire: USA TODAY bullish on Alabama football's CFP chances despite losses
