Is Alabama on its way back to the College Football Playoff after beating Georgia? Here are the latest CFP and bowl game projections.
Welcome back to the College Football Playoff race, Alabama.
At least that's the consensus among the experts following the Crimson Tide's latest takedown of the Georgia Bulldogs Saturday night at Sanford Stadium in Athens. Alabama raced out to a 14-0 lead on two 14-play touchdown drives engineered by quarterback Ty Simpson and never trailed in a 24-21 win over the Bulldogs.
The defense bent but never broke in the second half as Georgia came to life and attempted to mount a comeback behind quarterback Gunner Stockton and a powerful rushing attack that racked up 227 yards on the ground. Alabama got a critical stop on fourth down early in the fourth quarter amid a haze of smoke to stay in front.
Simpson put the game out of reach with a seven-yard completion to Jam Miller out of the backfield on third down with under two minutes to send Alabama to its 10th win in 11 games against Georgia dating back to the Mark Richt era in Athens.
Following the win, Alabama (3-1 overall, 1-0 SEC) rose seven spots to No. 10 in this week's AP Top 25 poll, and to No. 11 in the US LBM Coaches Poll.
The Crimson Tide's gutsy performance on the road -- where they'd been just 2-5 in seven previous games under coach Kalen DeBoer -- puts Alabama back in the 12-team playoff field entering October, according to the latest CFP and bowl game projections from national outlets.
Here are the latest projections.
ESPN sees Alabama as one of five SEC teams in projected CFP field
ESPN's Heather Dinich has Alabama as one of five SEC teams currently in the College Football Playoff according to her latest projections. Joining the Tide in Dinich's 12-team playoff field are projected SEC champion Texas A&M, Ole Miss, Oklahoma and Georgia.
As things stand now, Dinich sees a first-round rematch in Tuscaloosa between Alabama and the team it outlasted Saturday night in Athens.
Projected matchup: Alabama vs. Georgia
- Bowl: CFP first-round
- Where: Bryant-Denny Stadium
- When: Dec. 19 or 20
- TV: ABC or ESPN
ESPN's Schlabach, Bonagura have Alabama at Big Ten stadium in CFP
In their latest CFP projections, ESPN's Mark Schlabach and Kyle Bonagura see Alabama getting to the College Football Playoff and making a trip to Bloomington for a first-round, No. 9 vs. No. 8 seed matchup against the Indiana Hoosiers and former Nick Saban assistant Curt Cignetti.
Moreover, the two see Alabama beating the Hoosiers and making a return to the Rose Bowl in Pasadena on New Year's Day for a matchup with the Ohio State Buckeyes.
Bonagura added:
"Remember when Alabama was dead and buried a couple of weeks ago? Well, after the Tide's win against Georgia, ESPN's Football Power Index projects that only Ole Miss will finish with a better record from the SEC than Bama and that no team in the conference has a better chance to win out (albeit it's a slight 7.6% chance)."
Projected matchup: Alabama vs. Indiana
- Bowl: CFP first-round
- Where: Indiana University Memorial Stadium (Bloomington)
- When: Dec. 19 or 20
- TV: ABC or ESPN
USA TODAY Sports projects Alabama to host CFP game against former annual opponent
In the 1980s, Alabama and Penn State played annually from 1981-90 between Beaver Stadium and either Bryant-Denny Stadium or Birmingham's Legion Field. Because of that and their heavyweight bowl game matchups under Bear Bryant and Joe Paterno, including 1978's Goal Line Stand for the national championship in New Orleans, the Crimson Tide are more familiar with the Nittany Lions than any other Big Ten foe.
In the latest CFP projections from USA TODAY Sports, Alabama is the No. 6 seed hosting James Franklin's team following the Tide's win at Georgia and Penn State's double-overtime loss to Oregon.
USA TODAY Sports' Matt Hayes added:
"We’ve gone from searching for $70 million to buy out Tide coach Kalen DeBoer, to the realization this team has a high ceiling in a brutal conference race."
Alabama vs. Penn State in a first-round game is a popular pick among football prognosticators Sunday. Sports Illustrated's Bryan Fischer sees the Crimson Tide and Nittany Lions meeting in Tuscaloosa in December, as do Athlon Sports and Bleacher Report.
Projected matchup: Alabama vs. Penn State
- Bowl: CFP first-round
- Where: Bryant-Denny Stadium
- When: Dec. 19 or 20
- TV: ABC or ESPN
CBS Sports expert has Alabama hosting fellow blue-blood in CFP
Over at CBS Sports, analyst Brad Crawford has Alabama taking on Notre Dame in the first round of the College Football Playoff in Tuscaloosa. The Fighting Irish have never visited Bryant-Denny Stadium; Notre Dame's two road trips to Alabama were played at Legion Field in 1980 and in a classic Crimson Tide win in 1986.
Crawford has Alabama as the No. 6 seed in his new CFP projections. He forecasts Ole Miss to win the SEC after the Rebels improved to 5-0 under Lane Kiffin with Saturday's 24-19 win over LSU in Oxford.
"Buried after a season-opening loss at Florida State, the Crimson Tide control their own destiny in the SEC championship picture after Week 5 following another win over Georgia. Kalen DeBoer's second victory in as many years against the Bulldogs is an early season signature and gives Alabama a leg up with five games against ranked teams left. The likelihood of winning out is slim, but Saturday's win was assuredly a vital notch in the resume." --Brad Crawford, CBS Sports.
Projected matchup: Alabama vs. Notre Dame
- Bowl: CFP first-round
- Where: Bryant-Denny Stadium
- When: Dec. 19 or 20
- TV: ABC or ESPN
Alabama football schedule 2025
Alabama returns to Bryant-Denny Stadium in Week 6 for a top 25 matchup against the Vanderbilt Commodores Saturday at 2:30 p.m. CT. The game will be televised on ABC.
All start times Central.
- Aug. 30: at Florida State (L, 31-17)
- Sept. 6: vs. UL Monroe (W, 73-0)
- Sept. 13: vs. Wisconsin (W, 38-14)
- Sept. 27: at Georgia (W, 24-21)
- Oct. 4: vs. Vanderbilt, 2:30 p.m. ABC
- Oct. 11: at Missouri, 11 a.m., ABC or ESPN
- Oct. 18: vs. Tennessee, TBA
- Oct. 25: at South Carolina, TBA
- Nov. 8: vs. LSU, prime time
- Nov. 15: vs. Oklahoma, TBA
- Nov. 22 vs. Eastern Illinois, 1 p.m., ESPN+
- Nov. 29: at Auburn, TBA
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This article originally appeared on Roll Tide Wire: Alabama football CFP, bowl projections after statement win at Georgia
Category: General Sports
