Preseason college football rankings serve a purpose. and sometimes that purpose is to show voters just how wrong national perception can be after opening weekend. Texas and Alabama, two of the SEC’s widely accepted title contenders given their roster strengths, took one on the chin away from home Saturday in wake-up calls that reverberated throughout the college football spectrum.
Pardon the Alabama pun, but it’s time to address the elephant in the room that will make all anti-SEC folks cringe: the path to the College Football Playoff’s first three-loss, nonconference champion invitee is abundantly clear if either of those two squads can recover moving forward.
Top-ranked Texas had fewer holes, but its offense never found a rhythm against defending national champion Ohio State, while the Crimson Tide left Doak Campbell Stadium tattered and overrated, a result of Florida State’s bully-ball guarantee that sparked an upset.
Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer said something poignant in his assessment of his team’s lackluster performance. He mentioned not harping on last season’s fall from grace as a program, but to be honest, that’s impossible to ignore when many of those same issues from losses to Oklahoma and Michigan resurfaced once again in Tallahassee.
“Last year isn’t this year. It’s going to be an uphill climb for us, but you can’t think of it in the big scope of things,” DeBoer said. “You got to focus on the moment and the next moment is what happens tomorrow. We will find out. We’ve talked all along about chemistry on this team and how close we are and how hard we worked and doing a lot of the right things. We’ll find out if that sticks.”
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If DeBoer’s fixes fail to “stick,” it’s hard to envision this Alabama team getting to the playoff as one of the SEC’s at-large options with a brutal remaining slate that includes five teams currently ranked inside the top 20. Dating back to that 21-point setback against the Sooners last fall, Alabama has lost three of its last four games and the Crimson Tide have been a double-digit favorite in all of them.
Odds to make College Football Playoff field below via FanDuel Sportsbook.
Breathe easy, Texas
Face it, Arch Manning’s first career road start would’ve been an arduous challenge for any quarterback, especially one with millions of eyeballs on him and opinions circulating after each and every throw. He struggled early and handcuffed the Longhorns’ passing game as a result before dialing up a few long completions in the fourth quarter and giving his team a shot at the end.
His defense, on the other hand, was superb and could be what carries this team to Atlanta and beyond this season. The Longhorns limited Ohio State to just 11 first downs and 215 total yards of offense while keeping Jeremiah Smith out of the end zone. The Buckeyes scored their only touchdowns on a fourth-and-goal conversion near the goal line and Carnell Tate’s 50-50 ball win on a 40-yard heave in excellent coverage.
Against most teams, that effort from Texas would’ve been shutout worthy. The Buckeyes converted third downs at a 43.8% clip last season but managed success only three times in 12 attempts against the Longhorns. Had Texas been more successful on fourth down (1 for 5), perhaps the Longhorns would’ve retained their No. 1 ranking in Tuesday’s polls.
The Longhorns’ next nationally ranked opponent is Florida on Oct. 4, the SEC opener for Texas in Gainesville. That gives Steve Sarkisian plenty of time — and Manning added reps — to work out the kinks and put the best offensive product on the field against D.J. Lagway and the Gators. — Odds to make CFP field: -188
Worry at Alabama
Pulling positives from the Crimson Tide’s letdown at Florida State is like boasting about there being no need for a root canal despite five cavities after a recent trip to the dentist. There’s so much to clean up for DeBoer’s bunch that pregame vibes ahead of next weekend’s home opener against ULM might feel more like a morgue than a party at Bryant-Denny. This is what happens when your opponent out-muscles you at the line of scrimmage and you find little answers on defense for a mobile quarterback.
This was supposed to be one of the Crimson Tide’s easier games this season, after all. Florida State was a disaster last fall, leading to hot-seat murmurs surrounding Mike Norvell, and now his updated roster will find a spot inside the national rankings. On the other hand, Alabama should fall outside of the top 15 while leaking oil.
Perhaps Alabama’s Week 3 game with Wisconsin is a get-right opportunity before the SEC slate begins with a bang at Georgia on Sept. 27. That was circled as a game to watch this season but has lost some of its luster coming out of the first weekend based on Saturday’s results. If the Crimson Tide lose in Athens, they may have to win out to warrant justification for a playoff spot.
Well, that ain’t happening considering the four-game stretch over the second half of the schedule that includes nationally ranked Tennessee, South Carolina, LSU and Oklahoma. Failing to conquer the Bulldogs to open the SEC slate would put too much pressure on a team to win out, a group that would still be finding itself with little confidence approaching an opponent who kicked off all of this widespread disbelief in DeBoer: Vanderbilt on Oct. 4. — Odds to make CFP field: +180
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