Alabama Football: The Top Six teams in CFB after week nine
By Ronald Evans
The first CFB Selection Committee rankings come out Oct. 30. The Bama Hammer staff provides our internal ranking of the top six teams after week nine, as Alabama football matches toward a fifth Playoff appearance.
Bama Hammer has another way for Alabama football fans to track the progress of the Crimson Tide to the CFB Playoff final four.
Our purpose is to follow the guidelines of the CFB Selection Committee and select the best teams. Each weekly Bama Hammer ranking is based on season-to-date performance. Our rankings are not predictive of how teams will finish the season. The rankings will adjust each week to incorporate the most recent game results.
Our simple process was streamlined this week cutting the number of teams ranked from eight to six. Our staff of five individually ranked the teams from No. 1 to No. 6. The individual selections are tabulated for a group total by giving each No. 1 ranking six points and working down to the No. 6 team receiving one point. Therefore, the maximum points any team can receive is 30.
As Alabama football fans, we admit our rankings are subjective, just as are the AP, Coaches and Playoff Committee rankings. That does not deter us from attempting to identify the top eight teams.
Bama Hammer Top Six – Week No. 9 (Oct. 28)
- Alabama Crimson Tide – 30 points
- Clemson – 24 points
- Notre Dame – 20 points
- LSU – 15 points
- Michigan – 10 points
- Georgia – 6 points
National experts believe there is a gap below Alabama football and Clemson. There is a lot of football left to be played but many Alabama football fans are thinking the biggest gap exists below the Crimson Tide. LSU will have an opportunity to disprove that premise on Nov. 3.
Bama Hammer Staff Observations
Bama Hammer Contributor, Chris Dodson
Top three remain unchanged. LSU is on the outside looking in for now. If they get a win over Bama, that propels them to get into the playoff. For now, Michigan is a bit more proven then the Tigers. Georgia is setting themselves up to get back in, though they have a big test against Kentucky this week.
Bama Hammer Contributor, Ronald Moody
Clemson is a legit contender to delay Alabama from winning its seventeenth national championship. The rest of the teams are pretenders, possessing significant flaws that could derail their title opportunities at some point. Michigan and Georgia face tough games next week against Penn State and Kentucky.
Bama Hammer Contributor, Jonathan Waldrop
Given that 50 percent of my top six didn’t play this past weekend it’s tough to fully judge. Georgia sneaks back into the top six with a resounding victory over a much-improved Gators team. Despite a couple of so-so victories over lesser teams, Notre Dame looked dominant against Navy. And then there’s Clemson. Hoo boy, they look good. With QB drama out of the way, they’re the team everyone thought they would be coming into 2018. They’re the best shot to beat the Tide without a doubt.
Bama Hammer Contributor, Kevin Mudd
November 3 will be the biggest test for determining the playoffs before Michigan vs. Ohio State. Baton Rouge is must-watch but also Kentucky and Georgia will be most interesting. If Kentucky beats Georgia the Wildcats are a Top Four team in my opinion.
Bama Hammer Lead Writer, Ronald Evans
So far, it appears the Alabama Crimson Tide and maybe Clemson are much better than everyone else. I am not sold on any of the others. They are very good teams but none of the others meet my definition of great. There is no legit Final Four team in the PAC 12. In my mind, Oklahoma, West Virginia, Michigan, Ohio State and Notre Dame are all suspect.
Next. The All-Time Saban-Alabama Team. dark
The Bama Hammer staff will add our opinions to the national conversation after the first Committee ranking comes out each week. It will be a fun ride until the final ranking on Dec. 2.