The big picture for Alabama football loomed large after the Crimson Tide's loss to Vanderbilt Saturday.
While players such as Tyler Booker and Jalen Milroe stressed a one-game-at-a-time mentality, the college football world seemingly rejoiced with another top power falling to the underdog, another wrinkle in the first season with an expanded College Football Playoff.
Alabama was not alone Saturday.
Top-five Tennessee fell to unranked Arkansas . Top-10 Missouri fell to Texas A&M . Top-10 Michigan lost. Top-15 USC lost. Top-25 Louisville lost.
Welcome to the new world of college football where Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer will soon find out the resolve of the Crimson Tide .
GOODBREAD: Was Vanderbilt Kalen DeBoer's ULM moment?
Alabama vs Vanderbilt report card
"This is a different type of test for us now in our response," DeBoer said.
As the stages of grief swept through the Alabama locker room, one familiar refrain remained: the preseason goals of an SEC championship, a College Football Playoff berth and a national championship were still on the table.
"There's a whole lot of football left," Booker said.
After Week 6, Alabama is in the middle of the pack of the SEC standings.
The Crimson Tide joins Georgia, Arkansas, Ole Miss , Missouri, Tennessee, Oklahoma , Florida and Vanderbilt as the SEC teams with one loss in conference play. The SEC teams that remain unscathed are Texas A&M, who has three conference wins, Texas and LSU .
For the first time since 1992, the SEC championship will be played between teams with the best conference record.
According to ESPN's Football Power Index, the Crimson Tide still have a 16% chance of winning the SEC, second-best in the conference behind the Longhorns.
Alabama's path to the CFP remains in sight.
According to ESPN's Football Power Index, Alabama has a 70% chance to make the College Football Playoff behind Ohio State , Texas, Miami and Georgia. The Crimson Tide have the third-best odds of winning a national championship behind the Buckeyes and Longhorns.
In FBS, 12 undefeated teams remain: Texas, Indiana , Miami, Liberty, Iowa State , Ohio State, Penn State , Pittsburgh , BYU , Army, Navy and Oregon . Of those teams, only Pittsburgh, Liberty, Iowa State and BYU will have a regular-season path without seeing a team that is currently without a loss.
In an expanded playoff world, Alabama will have strength of schedule on its side. The Crimson Tide will finish 2024 with likely ranked matchups against Georgia, Tennessee, Missouri, LSU and Oklahoma.
Even if Alabama has another loss in the remaining seven games, the Crimson Tide should remain firmly in the postseason hunt.
The tests will keep coming for Alabama.
After a home meeting with South Carolina , the Crimson Tide could face three straight ranked opponents in Tennessee, Missouri and LSU. Two of those games, Tennessee and LSU, are on the road. Alabama rounds out its season against Mercer, a road meeting with Oklahoma and a home Iron Bowl against Auburn.
The opportunity remains to build a resume worthy enough for a spot in the season-ending 12-team playoff tournament. With a loss to Vanderbilt, the margin of error for the Crimson Tide remains extremely slim the rest of the way.
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: Alabama path to College Football Playoff, SEC Championship after Vanderbilt loss
