Since losing to Florida State, the Alabama Crimson Tide's Playoff chances have steadily grown. Based on ESPN's FPI, Alabama has the third-highest probability of making the Playoff field, at 79.4%. Only Ohio State and Oregon have higher playoff chances than the Crimson Tide.
ESPN's top 12 to make the CFB Playoff includes six SEC teams. Alabama leads the way at 79.4%. The other five are Ole Miss at 71.1%, Texas A&M at 66.6%, Georgia at 61.2%, Oklahoma at 45.2%, and Missouri at 33.7%.
Alabama is a big favorite to become the SEC Champion at 44.6%, followed by the Ole Miss Rebels at 21% and the Georgia Bulldogs at 10.6%.
After Week 6 games, The Sporting News projects six SEC teams to make the CFB Playoff. Six is an improbable number for any conference. Still, with Penn State and Texas faltering, Bill Bender's projection has Ole Miss, Tennessee, Georgia, Texas A&M, and Oklahoma joining Alabama in the Playoff field. Alabama is projected to receive a bye as the SEC Champion.
CBS Sports' Brad Crawford projects five SEC teams in the Playoff field: Alabama, Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Georgia, and Tennessee. Crawford's reason for not including the Sooners is that "no team in the country has a more difficult second-half schedule than Oklahoma." Crawford projects Ole Miss as the SEC Champion, with the Alabama Crimson Tide hosting a first-round game against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.
Alabama Crimson Tide Respect Not Unanimous
Not everyone at ESPN picks the Alabama Crimson Tide as a Playoff team. Eleven of ESPN's writers picked playoff teams after Week 6. Ten of the 11 had Alabama in the Playoff field. The one that did not is Bill Connelly. Connelly's latest SP+ rankings have Alabama as the No. 7 FBS team, ranked behind SEC teams Ole Miss and Oklahoma. Connelly projects four SEC teams in the Playoff: Ole Miss, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, and Missouri.
Alabama football fans may dislike or distrust Connelly's Alabama prediction, but he is a credible source. His pick for the Alabama vs. Missouri game is not yet available. His playoff rankings suggest his model will project the Tigers to beat the Crimson Tide.