Alabama Football: Crimson Tide, Clemson and the Pretenders
By Ronald Evans
As expected, Alabama football is No. 1 in the first CFB Selection Committee ranking for the 2018 season. The Crimson Tide was followed by Clemson and a bunch of pretenders.
There was no surprise at the top of the first CFB Selection Committee ranking Tuesday night. Alabama football was at the top, followed by Clemson. The only suspense was whether the No. 3 ranked team would be the Notre Dame Fighting Irish or the LSU Bengal Tigers.
The important top six are: 1) Alabama; 2) Clemson; 3) LSU; Notre Dame; 5) Michigan; 6) Georgia.
How do Alabama football fans feel about the first ranking? There are ho-hum responses. When the Alabama Crimson Tide is rightfully ranked No. 1, does it really matter how other teams are ranked?
A good number of Crimson Tide fans believe only two teams deserve to be ranked in the top four. After Alabama football and Clemson, the other top ten teams are mere pretenders. The November and early December national schedule of games will define who ultimately deserves to be in the final four.
The Alabama Crimson Tide and Clemson may or may not waltz into the fifth CFB Playoff. In the group some now call pretenders, a team or two will elevate itself to contender status. LSU might be one of those teams. The Bengal Tigers have a chance to leap into the top two spots if an upset happens in Baton Rouge.
Selection Committee loves the SEC
Other than the PAC 12, every Power Five conference will frame an argument for league strength. The strongest argument, by far, will come from the SEC. The league dominated the first Selection Committee Top 25. The SEC has half its teams, seven in the first Top 25. Noteworthy is the committee including two three-loss teams among the seven.
Even more impressive is how the other five SEC teams were ranked. Five of the Top 11 teams come from the SEC – four of the Top Nine – three of the Top Six. The other three Power Five conferences will crow but at this point, the SEC is the top league.
The other Top 25 ranked teams
7) Oklahoma
8) Washington State
9) Kentucky
10) Ohio State
11) Florida
12) UCF
13) West Virginia
14) Penn State
15) Utah
16) Iowa
17) Texas
18) Mississippi State
19) Syracuse
20) Texas A&M
21) North Carolina State
22) Boston College
23) Fresno State
24) Iowa State
25) Virginia
Next. The Saban-Alabama All-Time Team. dark
That’s it for the first Selection Committee ranking. Take a breath, Alabama football fans. It is a little early to be making travel plans to Arlington, TX on Dec. 29.