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"I Am Shocked": 2x Alabama National Champion Loses It at Kalen DeBoer & Co.'s CFP Ranking
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- "I Am Shocked": 2x Alabama National Champion Loses It at Kalen DeBoer & Co.'s CFP Ranking
Kalen DeBoer ©Credits: IMAGO
A win or loss can change how a team is viewed during the College Football Playoff race, but the committee's first rankings of the 2026 season have left plenty of people trying to make sense of its choices. One result, in particular, has come back into the conversation. A team that lost by 16 points at home has been placed eight spots above the opponent that beat it. And with the playoff picture beginning to take shape, that difference has become hard to ignore.
Alabama entered the first CFP rankings with a 6-2 record and was placed at No. 5, making it the highest-ranked two-loss team in the country. The decision also put Kalen DeBoer's squad ahead of undefeated UCLA and one-loss teams such as BYU and Notre Dame. However, Tennessee, which handed Alabama a 26-10 defeat earlier this season, landed at No. 13. The ranking caught the attention of former Alabama running back and two-time national champion Damien Harris.
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"I am shocked by this. I mean, and I don't even say this for any other reason than anybody else would. Nobody expected this. Tennessee, who is ranked number 13 in the country, embarrassed this football team by two scores at home. And Alabama is ranked, what, seven places higher than them? Like, how do we even, how do we fathom this?" Damien Harris said, according to CBS Sports College Football.
NCAA, College League, USA Football: Rose Bowl-Alabama at Indiana Jan 1, 2026 Pasadena, CA, USA Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Kalen Deboer looks on before the 2026 Rose Bowl and quarterfinal game of the College Football Playoff against the Indiana Hoosiers at Rose Bowl Stadium. Pasadena Rose Bowl Stadium CA USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xKirbyxLeex 20260101_lbm_al2_004
Harris, now a CBS Sports college football analyst, was not just surprised by the difference between the two teams' rankings. He also questioned what the committee's decision says about the way it is judging teams.
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"We are learning the committee's thought process. We're not necessarily learning about who are the best teams. We watch these teams. We watch Tennessee beat Alabama sure-handedly. We're seeing what flavors of ice cream the committee likes. And they like whatever they're serving in Tuscaloosa. Wow. Because to have them as a top five team truly is a spectacle," he added.
There are reasons Alabama received such a high ranking. The Tide have picked up wins against Kentucky, Florida State, South Carolina, Mississippi State, and Texas A&M. Their 45-17 win over Kentucky stands out, especially since the Wildcats were placed at No. 6 in the committee's rankings. Alabama also responded to back-to-back losses against Georgia and Tennessee with a 31-20 victory over Texas A&M.
Both of Alabama's defeats came against teams ranked in the committee's top 13, which may have helped its case. Still, the difference between the Tide and Tennessee has become a major talking point.
Alabama also received a much higher ranking from the committee than from the AP Top 25 and Coaches Poll, where it entered at No. 9 in both.
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The No. 5 ranking is not the only thing Harris is concerned about. He also pointed to Alabama's remaining schedule and believes the team could find itself under serious pressure over the next few weeks.
The Crimson Tide still have four regular-season games to play. Their schedule includes a road trip to face No. 14 LSU, followed by another road game against Vanderbilt. Alabama will then host Chattanooga before closing out the regular season with the Iron Bowl against Auburn.
"The way this season finishes out, you've got to go on the road in Baton Rouge. You've still got to play Auburn … that's a rivalry game. We saw Auburn beat Georgia … Although LSU is set up for success, Alabama is set up for failure," Harris said, as reported by The Comeback.
Alabama's next game is against LSU on November 7. The Tigers also hold a 6-2 record, so the matchup gives both teams a chance to strengthen their position in the playoff race.
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A win would give Alabama another opportunity to support the committee's decision, while a loss could bring even more attention to its current ranking.
For DeBoer, the focus now shifts to getting through the remaining games. The committee has ranked Alabama among the country's top five teams, but the Tide still have to prove they can live up to that ranking on the field.
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