Alabama Football: After latest rankings, moving on to next season

With the Tuesday night release of the next-to-last CFB Playoff rankings, we know Alabama Football will miss this season’s Playoffs. The CFB Playoff Selection Committee put the Crimson Tide at No. 6.

The coveted ‘still a chance’ fifth spot went to the Ohio State Buckeyes. As expected, the top four were Georgia, Michigan, TCU and Southern Cal. While Ohio State suffered a one-sided home loss to Michigan, the Buckeyes resume was boosted by a road win over No. 8 Penn State earlier in the season.

Alabama football fans are disappointed, but there should be little surprise the Buckeyes edged out the Crimson Tide for the fifth spot. It is possible Alabama is a better team than Ohio State, Southern Cal and TCU, but that will never be proven. At its best, there are reasons to believe the Crimson Tide would compete with Michigan and Georgia. Again, that will never be known, but we do know after 12 games, Nick Saban’s team has not reached its best.

Tennessee was one behind the Crimson Tide at No. 7. LSU plummeted to No. 14 after losing to Texas A&M. The Tide’s two wins over ranked teams are now Texas at No. 20 and Mississippi State at No. 24.

One other SEC football team is ranked, South Carolina at No. 19.

The Chairman of the Selection Committee, Boo Corrigan spoke with Rece Davis and explained the rankings of the top six teams. The video can be seen below, which includes Corrigan’s admission that nothing going forward will change the positioning of Ohio State and the Crimson Tide.

Alabama Football and ‘What If’

The ‘what ifs’ are tempting. But their only real value comes from reducing the disappointment level of Crimson Tide fans. The idea Bryce Young and Will Anderson Jr. will watch the Playoffs while lesser players compete rankles Alabama football fans.

As bad as many of us feel about the 2022 season, Crimson Tide players must cope with even deeper disappointment.

For the team, the ’22 season was to be about redemption. The memory of last January’s loss in the National Championship game was to be replaced by a new achievement. The hoped-for payback and reward are no longer possible. It is time to move on.

Moving on means a New Years Six bowl game that in many ways is the start of the 2023 season. The most likely destination for Alabama is the Sugar Bowl, against Kansas State.