It was another "tough loss" and "frustrating loss" for Kalen DeBoer and Alabama football Saturday, falling to Tennessee 24-17 at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee .
And after using those descriptors of "tough" and "frustrating," DeBoer made plain the situation that Alabama faces.
"We've had two now," DeBoer said, pointing to the Crimson Tide 's upset loss at Vanderbilt Oct. 5.
"I know we have a locker room that's hurting," DeBoer continued. "There's alway a common feel in the locker room after a loss. But these guys, no doubt in my mind, poured everything into the preparation. Just frustrated we can't get over the hump."
Two losses do not seal Alabama 's fate.
In the world of the expanded College Football Playoff, two losses does not automatically disqualify a team for a chance at a national championship. In 2023, Penn State , Ole Miss , and Oklahoma each finished in the top-12 of the final CFP rankings with two losses. Alabama, Tennessee, Clemson, USC, Penn State and Washington did the same in 2023, while Utah, at No. 9, Kansas State , at No. 9, had three.
Is the CFP conversation surrounding Alabama lessening after its latest loss, and ahead of a home date with Missouri next Saturday?
In CBS Sports' latest set of bowl projections after the Crimson Tide 's loss, Alabama remains projected as the eighth-ranked CFP team, hosting No. 9 BYU at Bryant-Denny Stadium in the first round either Dec. 20 or 21.
247Sports has Alabama out of the CFP race entirely. Instead, it has the Crimson Tide facing former Alabama quarterback Eli Holstein and Pittsburgh in the Gator Bowl Jan. 2 in Jacksonville, Florida.
ESPN also has Alabama outside of the CFP. The Crimson Tide are projected to face Arizona State in the SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl Dec. 27.
Colin Gay covers Alabama football for The Tuscaloosa News, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at cgay@gannett.com or follow him @_ColinGay on X, formerly known as Twitter.
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Latest Alabama football bowl projections after Tennessee loss
