Damien Harris says Alabama is ‘set up for failure’ with No. 5 CFP ranking
By Sydney Hunte
Published:
Alabama’s No. 5 ranking in the initial College Football Playoff Top 25 was the talk of the sport on Tuesday night. Many on social media chimed in on the committee’s decision, arguing that the Crimson Tide were slotted much too high — certainly in relation to No. 13 Tennessee, a team that beat them 26-10 weeks ago.
The Tide doesn’t have the easiest remaining schedule in the world. Yes, FCS Chattanooga at home is one of the four games they have left. But there’s also a trip to No. 14 LSU and a home game against Auburn to contend with.
To CBS Sports college football analyst Damien Harris, that’s a bit of a landmine scenario for Kalen DeBoer‘s team.
“The way this season finishes out, you’ve got to go on the road in Baton Rouge. You’ve still got to play Auburn … that’s a rivalry game. We saw Auburn beat Georgia … Although LSU is set up for success, Alabama is set up for failure,” Harris said.
Needless to say, the Tide have to win out to potentially secure a spot in the College Football Playoff. After missing out in DeBoer’s first season, they lost in the Rose Bowl in 2025. The 2026 season has been far from smooth, though.
Sydney is an Atlanta-based journalist who has covered everything from SEC and ACC football to MLS, the U.S. men's national soccer team and professional tennis. His work has appeared on such platforms as SB Nation, Cox Media Group and FanSided.
