The Alabama Crimson Tide looked like a buzzsaw through five weeks of the 2026 college football season. Since then, they’ve been on the receiving end of some defensive dominance, particularly in the second halves of their games. Now, their College Football Playoff participation is up in the air.
During Monday’s episode of First Take, Paul Finebaum stated he was concerned about Kalen DeBoer’s team keeping pace in the CFP chase.
“Right now, [Alabama is] looking at the abyss… they have to go to LSU,” Finebaum said. “Alabama does not seem to play that well on the road… if they drop that game, they’re done. They’re not getting in the playoff… they just got punked against Tennessee… Alabama is really in trouble at the moment.”
Outside of recovering and beating who remains on its schedule, the Crimson Tide’s best claim to a CFP berth may reside in Lexington. The Kentucky Wildcats (6-1, 4-1 SEC) are No. 12 in the AP poll following a win against the Oklahoma Sooners. Alabama’s 45-17 thrashing of Kentucky — which actually featured a dominant second half — may wind up as the best piece of the Crimson Tide’s resume.
While Alabama may want the Wildcats to keep winning, Kentucky’s final record won’t matter if the Crimson Tide doesn’t right the ship. Alabama welcomes Texas A&M to Tuscaloosa on Saturday afternoon (3:30 p.m. ET, ABC).
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