Alabama football and six other SEC teams were included in the CFB Selection Committee’s first ranking for the 2018 season.
Alabama football fans know the first of six of tabulations by the CFB Selection Committee means little to teams ranked in the top six. Below that, the first ranking roughly defines the probability of other teams moving into the top four in the last ranking on Dec. 2.
A quick observation is Florida at No. 11 and UCF at No. 12 can only hope for one of the non-Playoff, New Year’s Six bowl games.
For Alabama football fans trying to make sense of the entire Top 25, check out some observations from the Bama Hammer staff.
Bama Hammer Contributor, Chris Dodson
There are way too many ACC teams that are on the back-end of the rankings. The ranking of No. 8 for Washington State puts the Pac-12 in position to make a run for the playoff should chaos ensue. LSU is good, but I don’t think they are better than Notre Dame. I’d put them at 5 behind Notre Dame and Michigan, but ahead of Georgia. This will all shake out by the end of the season, obviously, but an interesting start.
Bama Hammer Contributor, Jonathan Waldrop
Well, ESPN got their precious tv time in for the Playoff Committee’s initial rankings of the 2018 season. I had LSU in my top three, but who here thinks the Committee placed the Tigers ahead of Notre Dame for the No. 1 vs. No. 3 factor of this weekend’s game against the Tide? Honestly, none of the rankings really surprised me which is probably a good thing seeing as how there’s a pretty clear delineation between the top six teams currently and the rest of the field. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little happy to see UK in the top ten, though. In the end, none of this will matter in a week.
Bama Hammer Contributor, Ronald Moody
The committee got it right for the initial rankings. The Top Six are the best teams in the country. If Oklahoma wins out, which I think they can, they will occupy space in the top group. I don’t care how good UCF is, they do not deserve a seat at the table. Their schedule is No. 126 in the FBS. Not great at all.
Bama Hammer Contributor, Bryant Barger
A very sensible first rankings from the committee. Alabama stays, of course, at No. 1. Clemson’s struggle game against Syracuse keeps them from doing what Georgia did last year. They stay at No. 2. I believe Notre Dame has played a strong schedule throughout the season. I know I am the lone sheep there, but I do not agree with the LSU jump. It really excites me to see Washington State move up and Ohio State move down. Good stuff there. There are a lot of very respectable teams that the committee pushed forward. I am pleased with the first rankings.
Bama Hammer Contributor, Kevin Mudd
I don’t put much into the rankings this early except for the fact that the committee has shown that it will take a lot of losses from the top for UCF to have a shot and that there is zero respect for the PAC-12. Besides that, it is too early to speculate what the end picture will be.
Bama Hammer, Lead Writer, Ronald Evans
Mostly for fun, I will provide my personal Top 10. The open slots reflect gaps in strength among the teams.
- Alabama
- Open
- Clemson
- Open
- Open
- LSU
- Notre Dame
- Georgia
- Michigan
- Oklahoma
For any fans of opposing teams, offended by my ranking, I offer Dabo’s comment tonight.
"The reality of it is, like back when I was a player, they had the big-time bus and then they had the ROY bus, the rest of y’all. It’s kind of Alabama and the rest of y’all. We’re just glad to be on the ROY bus right now and still have a chance."
Here’s hoping we Alabama football fans can stay relaxed about the Committee rankings through the next five weeks. Last year proved that on Dec. 2 all that matters is being in the final four.