Alabama Opens Playoff Rankings at No. 5 Despite Two Losses
The College Football Playoff selection committee placed Alabama fifth in its first 2026 rankings, released on November 3. The two-loss Crimson Tide sit above several undefeated and one-loss teams.
Alabama was ranked fifth in the College Football Playoff committee’s opening rankings of the 2026 season, four places higher than its position in the AP Top 25. The Crimson Tide are 6-2, making them the highest-ranked team with two losses.
The committee placed Alabama ahead of unbeaten UCLA and one-loss BYU and Notre Dame. Kentucky, which has one loss, was ranked sixth; Alabama beat the Wildcats head-to-head. Tennessee, ranked 13th, is also above Alabama in the AP and Coaches polls and has beaten the Crimson Tide.
Miami, Georgia, Utah and Indiana occupy the first four spots. The committee ranked Alabama’s two losses as defeats to Georgia, which is second, and Tennessee. The SEC has seven teams among the committee’s top 14 and 10 among its top 25.
LSU, Alabama’s next opponent, is 6-2 and ranked 14th. The ranking leaves Alabama fifth ahead of its Saturday game against the Tigers; a loss would leave the Tide 6-3, with the report noting they could still be in playoff contention at 9-3.