Greg McElroy reacts to College Football Playoff rankings slotting Alabama at No. 11
The first College Football Playoff rankings are out and there were several surprises. One of the interesting decisions that the selection committee made was to rank the Alabama Crimson Tide at No. 11 with two losses on the season.
The placement of Alabama was, naturally, a decision that was highly debated. Analyst Greg McElroy shared his thoughts on the Crimson Tide on Always College Football, explaining that he feels Alabama is right where it belongs as it controls its own destiny for the Playoff.
“A lot of people really frustrated with Alabama being at 11,” Greg McElroy said. “I personally don’t have a big problem with it. They have the opportunity this week to go on the road to LSU. They beat LSU, they’re cooking with gas. They lose to LSU, they’re out. I think it’s pretty simple for Alabama.”
Alabama is currently sitting at 6-2 on the season. That makes them one of seven SEC schools with two losses or left on the season. It’s a crowded field of College Football Playoff contenders, which makes it difficult to determine what order teams should be ranked.
“They also have one of the top wins in the country against Georgia. Oregon has the top win. They beat Ohio State, who is ranked second, according to the Playoff committee. Alabama has the second best win, which is against Georgia, who is the second highest ranked one-loss team.”
One important point for McElroy about Alabama is that the Crimson Tide’s resume is full of wins against teams with winning records. That gives Alabama plenty of good points on its resume to this point, despite the two losses.
“Alabama also, if you look at everyone else they’ve beat, Alabama has six wins this year. All six of the teams they’ve beaten have a winning record, including Missouri who is ranked in the Top 25, Georgia who is ranked No. 3, South Carolina who I think has a really strong argument to be ranked, even though they are not, Wisconsin, which outside of Illinois is Penn State‘s best win. That’s Alabama’s fifth-best win. So, I look at everything right now and I’m kind of in the line of thought where Alabama’s appropriately ranked and in complete control of their own destiny,” McElroy said.
“If they win out, they’re in. If they lose to LSU or if they lose one at Oklahoma or against Auburn in the Iron Bowl, they’re out. It’s pretty simple.”
That game between Alabama and LSU will be played in Baton Rouge on Saturday night. The winner will add another major point to its resume while the loser will have a third loss that, likely, effectively eliminates them from the Playoff.
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