Alabama and Tennessee have the same records heading into the first College Football Playoff rankings, with both teams sitting at 6-2 after suffering two losses this season. The Volunteers have a big advantage in their head-to-head matchup, having handed Kalen DeBoer's Crimson Tide a convincing 26-10 defeat just a few weeks ago.
However, the College Football Playoff selection committee placed Alabama ahead of Tennessee in its initial rankings. The CFP selection committee chairman Hunter Yurachek shared an explanation for the decision, but several college football personalities, including Barstool's Dave Portnoy, questioned the committee's justification.
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Alabama currently sits at No. 5 in the CFP ranking, trailing only Miami, Georgia, Utah and Indiana. The Crimson Tide remain firmly inside the projected College Football Playoff field, while Tennessee is currently on the outside looking in.
Yurachek was asked on Tuesday to explain the big gap between the two teams in the latest rankings. He pointed to Alabama's collection of quality wins to justify the committee's decision.
"Alabama went on the road and beat the team that we have ranked sixth this week in Kentucky," Yurachek said
. "They also beat South Carolina, who's ranked in the top 25. And then I think many forget that they went on the road and beat Mississippi State when Mississippi State was undefeated and at full strength.
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"We really valued that as a strong win for Alabama back there in the early part of the season when [MSU] was, again, they had that quarterback in Kamario Taylor, who was very good, and Mississippi State was on a roll at that time. We see those as three quality wins."
Though Alabama lost to Tennessee, Yurachek insisted that the Volunteers have not built a comparable resume.
"Tennessee doesn't have the same level of quality wins," Yurachek said. "They do have the win against Alabama, but you have to go a little bit deeper to see Tennessee with another quality win on their schedule."
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This triggered reactions from many in the college football world.
"'Why did you rank Alabama so high? They beat Mississippi State.' Words I never thought Id hear," Portnoy wrote.
"Yurachek is probably exploring a PR team to explain whatever the hell it is he's trying to say here," analyst Jacob Davis said
.
Alabama has managed to stay ahead of several one-loss programs, including BYU, Notre Dame and Kentucky.
The Crimson Tide's losses have come against Georgia and Tennessee, which appear to have been seen as more respectable losses by the selection committee. Meanwhile, Tennessee has suffered losses to Texas and South Carolina, whom the committee seemingly considered less impressive.
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With plenty of games remaining on the 2026 schedule, the playoff picture could still change significantly. However, that has not stopped people from questioning the committee's decision, especially its justification for placing Alabama ahead of a team that defeated it head-to-head.
"That was his best?!!!?" Mark Kulkin, host of the "Locked on USC" podcast, wrote
.
"This committee legitimately could not have picked a worse spokesperson," analyst Danny Demilio said
.
Alabama remains in a strong position to reach the postseason. According to PFN
, the Crimson Tide currently have a 90.3% chance of making the College Football Playoff this season.
This article originally appeared on
Pro Football Network
.
