Alabama’s Playoff Participation Sees a Twist as Another 3-Loss Side Could Spoil Kalen DeBoer’s Party

First things first, thank the football gods if you are an Alabama Crimson Tide fan, as On3’s, latest College Football Playoff rankings bring the good news. Saban’s chosen one, Kalen DeBoer and his Alabama, yet after finishing the regular season with three losses, somehow are still in the postseason bracket. And somehow SEC love prevails again over teams with fewer losses. But what we know is that when you are at the brink of the margin, you can never breathe easy until the very end.

Such is the desperate case around Tuscaloosa, ranked at No.11 in the Top 25 CFP’s shocking release by On3 on the gram comes with major red flags for the Kalen DeBoer side. Their case rests on the fate of rivals, Clemson. Yes, so the Tide fans have more reasons to hate the Tigers, who are the only ones standing between them and the playoffs. With the same record as theirs and at No.17, here’s how it breaks down. If No. 8 SMU defeats No. 17 Clemson in the AAC Championship, Alabama will comfortably slide into the 12-team College Football Playoff despite their rocky 9-3 season. However, if Clemson wins, the Tigers claim the ACC’s automatic bid. That leaves the committee with a thorny dilemma—deciding between Alabama, SMU, and a surging South Carolina team for the final at-large berth.

For Alabama fans, the irony isn’t lost. The team most responsible for their playoff heartbreaks in the past—remember the previous Tiger stunners?—could now bury them once again. “Those who are not playing [in conference championship games], we will not adjust those teams,” committee chair Warde Manuel explained the decision to rank Bama above the No.12 Miami to ESPN.

The Tide’s season has been anything but smooth sailing. The three losses have put Kalen DeBoer on shaky ground, while close wins kept their playoff hopes flickering. They were written off midseason as a playoff contender, yet the 12-team format offered them a lifeline. But now, their inclusion requires outside help.

Meanwhile, the Mustangs have made a case for their own playoff debut. Riding an 11-1 season, the Mustangs have an offense as explosive as a Fourth of July fireworks. We are as shocked as the rest of the CFB realm.

Was Alabama favored over the ACC giants?

The ACC is having a tough time shaking its branding woes, and once again, the SEC seems to be living rent-free in the College Football Playoff committee’s head. Tuesday’s penultimate rankings stirred up ACC frustrations as three-loss Alabama leapfrogged two-loss Miami. ACC fans couldn’t help but say, “Here we go again.”

The blow feels particularly harsh for the ACC, which just last week looked poised to land three teams in the 12-team playoff field. Now, with Miami tumbling to No. 12 and only one likely ACC representative, Commissioner Jim Phillips expressed disappointment, calling the drop “shocking.” To add salt to the wound, the SEC could send four teams, reminding everyone where the CFP committee’s heart lies.

The stakes are high as Clemson faces SMU in the ACC Championship. A loss could further shrink the ACC’s already dwindling playoff presence. Meanwhile, Bama seems to thrive with extra wiggle room.