As the power conferences in college football lobby for automatic bids into the new formats of the further expanded College Football Playoff, there has been plenty of talk about the SEC playing eight conference games compared to the Big Ten’s nine. The SEC and Greg Sankey simply volley back arguments about the depth SEC and how much more difficult those eight games are than their nine, and while that might be true, it’s undeniable that an eight-game conference slate provides SEC teams an additional spot for a late-season cupcake.
Alabama’s bye weeks in 2025 are scheduled for Week 4 and Week 10, but these three cupcake opponents should give Kalen DeBoer’s team a few more opportunities to rest with easy victories as they pursue a spot in the current 12-team CFP configuration.
Luke Fickell built Cincinnati into a powerhouse that even earned an opportunity to play Alabama in the four-team CFP, but turning Wisconsin into a Big Ten contender has proved to be more difficult. After a slow start last year in Madison, the Tide steamrolled their way to a 42-10 victory, and though Fickell has had another year to build, he didn’t make a big enough splash in the transfer portal to elevate the Badgers anywhere near Alabama’s level.
Louisiana-Monroe took a step forward in Year 1 under Bryan Vincent, improving from a 2-10 record in 2023 to 5-7 last season. However, that 5-7 campaign included a 51-3 loss to Texas, a 48-14 defeat at Auburn, and six straight losses to close out the year. After opening the year at Florida State, Alabama gets a true cupcake in Week 2 at Bryant-Denny Stadium, and the Warhawks don’t have any reason to suspect they’ll pull an upset.
Tucked nicely between an opportunity to avenge last season’s loss to Oklahoma and the Iron Bowl, Eastern Illinois represents Alabama’s classic November SEC cupcake. Unless Tony Romo or Jimmy Garoppolo have any extra eligibility, Eastern Illinois will just be a much-needed week off for the Crimson Tide’s star players ahead of what Kalen DeBoer hopes will be a long postseason run.