When the 12-team College Football Playoff selection is announced, it’s expected that Alabama will secure a spot. This comes after the committee raised them one spot to No. 9 in the latest rankings, surpassing a Notre Dame team that concluded their regular season with a more impressive win.

Despite the mismatch evident in Alabama’s recent SEC Championship Game against No. 3 Georgia, where they suffered a crushing 28-7 defeat, their playoff chances remain intact. In the match, Alabama managed to rush for negative yards and didn’t surpass 100 total yards until late into the third quarter. Their recent performance against Georgia has yielded only seven points over their last six quarters.

While it seems unlikely that Alabama won’t be part of the playoffs, questions arise regarding whether they genuinely deserve this privilege. “They are not (a Playoff team),” stated Damien Harris, the CBS College Football analyst and two-time national champion. “This Alabama team, particularly the offense, did not appear to be Playoff-level.”

If Alabama does make it, they will be the first at-large playoff team with three losses and the first to endure two double-digit defeats in a single season. This would place them ahead of deserving contenders like No. 11 BYU, which finished the regular season with an 11-1 record.

With Alabama’s performance declining since November 1, including a 2-2 record against FBS opponents, averaging just 17 points per game, there is concern about their viability as a playoff competitor. They have faltered against ranked teams and their wins have often been unconvincing.

Compounding the concern is quarterback Ty Simpson, once viewed as a potential Heisman candidate, who has struggled significantly over recent games, throwing successive interceptions and averaging under 200 passing yards. The Tide’s offensive struggles present significant challenges to their aspirations for playoff contention.