Long ranked No. 1, Tide now need help
Alabama’s body of work is complete.
All that’s left is the waiting game.
The program, which had been ranked No. 1 all season by the Associated Press, ceded control of its playoff destiny with its first loss of the season.
A 26-14 setback at Auburn on Saturday dropped the Tide to fifth in Sunday’s AP poll and likely will bump head coach Nick Saban’s team out of the top four when the College Football Playoff releases its rankings Tuesday.
The rankings that matter come out Sunday, after conference championship games that won’t include the Crimson Tide.
Alabama (11-1) is stuck on the sideline.
“We are a one-loss team and we lost to a really good team,” defensive back Minkah Fitzpatrick said, beginning the lobbying effort. “We deserve a chance to be in the playoffs.”
Unfortunately for the Tide, that single loss knocked them out of the SEC title game, which matches No. 4 Auburn (10-2) against No. 6 Georgia (11-1). The winner seems certain to land a spot in the playoff.
Ditto for the winner of the ACC championship game between No. 1 Clemson (11-1) and No. 7 Miami (10-1). Though the Hurricanes were stunned by Pittsburgh (5-7) on Friday, bouncing back with a victory over the defending national champions almost surely would be enough to boost Mark Richt’s team into a playoff berth.
There are scenarios in which Alabama could make it.
No. 2 Oklahoma (11-1) will face No. 10 TCU (10-2) in the Big 12 title game, knowing a victory will lock up a playoff spot for the Sooners. If the Horned Frogs prevail, it probably clears the way for Alabama to make the final four.
There’s also the Big Ten championship between No. 3 Wisconsin (12-0) and No. 8 Ohio State (10-2). If the Badgers stay undefeated, they’re playoff-bound. If the Buckeyes win, things get very interesting. Coaching carousel: Rice head coach David Bailiff was fired two days after the Owls finished the season 1-11 . ... Ty Detmer, the 1990 Heisman Trophy winner at BYU, has been relieved of his offensive coordinator role with the Cougars. Detmer could return in a different role. Spartans’ kicker honored: San Jose State kicker Bryce Crawford was named Mountain West Conference Special Teams Player of the Week after making 44- and 52-yard field goals in a 20-17 win over Wyoming that snapped the Spartans’ losing streak at 10 games.