Alabama Football: Don’t just look at AP and Coaches polls

The week eight traditional polls are out. Alabama football fans will mostly look at the AP and Coaches polls with chagrin for a potential, undefeated season gone awry. More on the two polls below, but more important stuff needs attention first.

Not just Alabama fans, but every college football fan would be wise to remember the first poll that matters is a little over two weeks away. That will be the first CFB Playoff Selection Committee rankings that will be released on Tuesday, Nov. 1.

Other polls provide entertainment value and may be indicators of how the Selection Committee will rank teams.

On Sunday morning, Jimmy Stein from Bama Insider provided a list of 18 teams still in contention for a CFB Playoff slot. Stein accurately stated the nine, not undefeated teams, have no margin for error. Alabama Football is, of course, one of the nine.

After week eight games, there will be at least one less undefeated team, either Clemson or Syracuse. Two or more of the no-margin teams, possibly Kansas State and Oregon, will drop out of contention if they lose on Saturday.

Alabama pretty much controls its own destiny. Even in the end, if there are four undefeated Power Five champions, a one-loss SEC champion would be in a strong position to make the field. The variables are many and over the next few weeks, they will change dramatically.

Alabama Football and the traditional polls

The Alabama Crimson Tide dropped to No. 6 in the AP Poll and the Coaches Poll. Tennessee moved up to No. 3 in both polls. Georgia is No. 1 in both polls. Other SEC teams ranked are Ole Miss at No. 7 in both polls; Kentucky at No. 18 by the coaches and No. 19 in the AP; and Mississippi State at No. 24 in both polls. LSU was one spot out of the Top 25 in the Coaches Poll and two spots out in the AP Poll. South Carolina and Arkansas also made it into the ‘others receiving votes’ lists in both polls.

The Texas Longhorns at No. 20 in the AP and No. 21 in the Coaches poll help boost the Crimson Tide resume.

Other Alabama Football Rankings

It is hard to know how significant, but it is not insignificant that two algorithm rankings value the Crimson Tide higher. The ESPN FPI has the Crimson Tide at No. 2 with the fourth highest probability to make the Playoffs.

Jeff Sagarin has the Crimson Tide at No. 3. Both the algorithms have Alabama Football ranked higher than Tennessee.

The CFB Playoff Selection Committee does not say how much it considers polls and computer rankings. It has admitted in the past, that both are data points used in their evaluations.

Moving on is a challenge after a tough loss. It is possible Alabama needed to have its back against a wall to play at its highest level.