After falling outside of the Top 10 following a disheartening performance in Knoxville for its second consecutive loss, further chaos and an 11-point win over Texas A&M have Alabama right back in the Top 10.
Alabama is back up three spots in this week's AP Poll to No. 10, right back in prime playoff positioning and potentially opening up more than one path to the College Football Playoff.
BREAKING: College Football AP Poll🚨https://t.co/joTXI88RSq pic.twitter.com/X2DGJC4BpE
— On3 (@On3) October 25, 2026
Alabama may have a College Football Playoff path without winning out
Heading into this week against Texas A&M, it was considered a do-or-die spot. The only certain path to the College Football Playoff would mean winning the final five games in the regular season to finish at 10-2.
And while that's still certainly true in the aftermath of Week 8, it looks more and more like there's a path for a 9-3 team or two to make the 12-team field. The SEC is cannibalizing itself. But they aren't alone. It's happening in the other leagues, too, opening up more potential playoff pathways for the Crimson Tide.
The most notable thing for Alabama in this week's AP Poll isn't that they are ranked No. 10; it's that they are the highest-ranked two-loss team. That's not necessarily how the playoff committee would see it, but it is a good sign.
Kentucky's rapid ascension means that Alabama currently has a dominant road win over a Top 10 opponent, too. Alabama smoked Kentucky 45-17 in Lexington in Week 2.
Through eight weeks, only Georgia and Kentucky have just a single loss among SEC teams. Six others have two losses. A lot of them still have games against one another.
The move to a nine-game league schedule should change your qualification of a good season. 9-3 is the new 10-2. 10-2 the new 11-1.
This has already been a chaotic season. It feels 2007-esque. It's being dubbed the "year of the hangover" because every team that earns a massive win is getting upset the following week.
It happened to Georgia after beating Alabama. They dropped a stunner at home to Auburn the next week. BYU followed up a massive win over Notre Dame by losing at UCF. Tennessee fell to South Carolina after knocking off Alabama.
It's an epidemic. And it's leading to chaos that is going to open up a playoff spot or two for teams with records you wouldn't have expected in the preseason.
That means Alabama could potentially lose to LSU on November 7th, then win its final three games and be right on the playoff bubble at 9-3.
Don't tell the Crimson Tide that, though. They should be prepared to head to Baton Rouge after the bye week with a desperation to win. They should consider it a win-or-go-home playoff game even though it might not be.
Add us as a preferred source on Google