Alabama receiving the No. 5 rank in the first CFP rankings release was a clear example of ESPN's Crimson Tide bias. Ask Bammers, though, and they'll say it was the byproduct of the Tide and Georgia losing on the same day in Week 7.
Alabama lost to Tennessee in the Third Saturday in October game at the same time as UGA's loss to Auburn in the Deep South's Oldest Rivalry game. Kalen DeBoer's squad took two straight losses to the Dawgs and Volunteers and then went on to have trouble before putting away Texas A&M before the bye week.
Bama Hammer's John Mitchell believes the CFP selection committee had mercy on the Tide and saw both its and Georgia's losses on October 17 as the result of a competitive game the week before in Tuscaloosa.
"The playoff committee took those two results and effectively tossed them out, chalking them up to two teams that had just beaten the crap out of each other in Tuscaloosa having nothing left in the tank the following week," Mitchell wrote.
"That only happened because Auburn did Alabama a favor and took down Georgia. If it were only the Crimson Tide that played poorly the following week against Tennessee, then they are likely a good bit lower in Tuesday's initial CFP rankings. If Georgia had handled Auburn as oddsmakers expected, then there would be no real excuse for the way Alabama played in Knoxville."
Auburn can cause Alabama to miss the CFP with an Iron Bowl upset
For Auburn's next trick, the Tigers can eliminate the Crimson Tide from the CFP. That is, of course, if LSU doesn't do so first.
While the CFP selection committee seemed to price in a third Alabama loss for the 12-team field, be it in the regular season or the SEC Championship Game, there could be a reckoning if the Crimson Tide are blown out by the Bayou Bengals.
Even if Auburn is 7-4 by the Iron Bowl, the CFP selection committee may not be able to price in a second loss for Alabama if it loses big to LSU and goes down in Week 13.
AU got the Tide into an unenviable position, with every fanbase cheering for its downfall because it was ranked so highly by ESPN and the executives on the committee. The Tigers could force Alabama into an offseason from hell by delivering an upset during rivalry week.
Auburn may have exhalted the Tide, but the Tigers could take it out just as quickly.
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