The Alabama Crimson Tide's College Football Playoff hopes took a big hit following an ugly 26-10 loss to the Tennessee Volunteers at Neyland Stadium in Week 7.
Alabama (5-2, 3-2) was held to 201 yards of total offense by a suffocating Tennessee defense that forced three Keelon Russell turnovers. The loss marked the first time the Crimson Tide had suffered back-to-back setbacks in a regular season since 2007, Nick Saban's first year in Tuscaloosa.
Most concerning for Alabama is where its offense has gone in the past two weeks. The Tide were shut out in the second half in both a 20-17 loss to the Georgia Bulldogs and on Saturday in Knoxville.
The defense held Tennessee to three first-quarter field goals after the Vols spent practically the entire
first quarter inside the red zone, but workhorse running back DeSean Bishop eventually broke the game open in the second half with two touchdowns runs, including a 5-yard rush to cap a 15-play, 72-yard drive that took 9:32 off the clock in the fourth quarter.
Alabama likely can't afford another loss with four SEC games remaining, including Saturday's matchup against Texas A&M (4-3, 1-3) at Bryant-Denny Stadium. After that, a trip to LSU and Tiger Stadium awaits the Crimson Tide on Nov. 7, followed by a visit to Vanderbilt and the Iron Bowl showdown against an Auburn team that just knocked off previously No. 1-ranked Georgia.
Here's where national outlets see Alabama in the College Football Playoff hunt through entering Week 8.
ESPN drops Alabama from College Football Playoff in new projections
ESPN analysts Mark Schlabach and Kyle Bonagura said so long to the Crimson Tide in their updated playoff projections following Alabama's loss to Tennessee.
Bonagura sees Alabama facing the Iowa Hawkeyes (5-1) in the Citrus Bowl in Orlando on Jan. 2 in the annual SEC-Big Ten showdown.
Schlabach sees the game Tide taking on another Big Ten team in a different bowl. He forecasts the Crimson Tide to face the Wisconsin Badgers (4-2) in the Music City Bowl in Nashville on Dec. 30.
It's a sharp drop for Alabama, which landed in the ESPN duo's CFP quarterfinal bracket a week earlier following its three-point loss to Georgia.
Alabama 'last team in' CBS Sports' College Football Playoff predictions after Tennessee loss
CBS Sports college football analyst Brad Crawford sees the Crimson Tide as the No. 9 seed in the playoff and traveling to the Rose Bowl for a first-round game against the No. 8 seed UCLA Bruins (6-0). UCLA is the only remaining unbeaten team from either the Big Ten or SEC entering Week 8.
What's more, Crawford sees Alabama advancing to the quarterfinal round and a matchup with projected No. 1 seeded Miami Hurricanes at the Peach Bowl.
Crawford said:
"One of five SEC teams in our new projection, Alabama's game at LSU on Nov. 7 could be for one of the final spots in the bracket. Consecutive losses have stunned the Crimson Tide, but the Tigers are the only ranked team left. The Iron Bowl could be attractive if Auburn keeps it up and serves as the spoiler during rivalry weekend."
The Athletic predicts Alabama football's updated CFP fate
Over at The Athletic, Scott Dochterman's latest playoff projections (subscription required for full access) have Alabama out and a new SEC team taking the Crimson Tide's place in the 12-team field in December.
Both Alabama and Texas fell from The Athletic's CFP bracket after back-to-back losses in Week 7. The Kentucky Wildcats (6-1) and Tennessee (6-1) moved into the bracket.
Sports Illustrated bounces Alabama football from CFP in updated projections
Longtime college football analyst Bryan Fischer of Sports Illustrated is another media member who bumped the Crimson Tide from his latest CFP projections entering Week 8.
Fischer sees Alabama taking on the Nebraska Cornhuskers (5-2) in the Citrus Bowl. Alabama and Nebraska haven't met since the 1978 season opener at Legion Field in Birmingham.
Alabama football schedule 2026
ESPN reveals TV announcers for Alabama football vs. Texas A&M
— Roll Tide Wire (@RollTideWire) October 20, 2026
📸 David Leong, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect https://t.co/N2cgUqsEcy pic.twitter.com/D1z2q5vPrU
Kickoff for Alabama-Texas A&M in Week 8 of the 2026 college football season is 2:30 p.m. CT Saturday. The game will be televised on ABC. The Crimson Tide are No. 13 in this week's US LBM Coaches Poll and the AP Top 25. Texas A&M is unranked.
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: National media predict Alabama football CFP fate after back-to-back losses
