College Football Playoff Explains Controversial Ranking Alabama Over Tennessee

SEC fans did a double take when seeing Alabama ranked much higher than the Tennessee team that beat them in the first College Football Playoff rankings.

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The one thing we know about the first College Football Playoff rankings? The selection committee really, really likes what the SEC is putting on the field this season.

The other thing they like? Alabama, which they ranked eight spots ahead of Tennessee, despite the Vols dominating the Crimson Tide in a 26-10 decision a few weeks ago.

Bama over Big Orange?

The first deliberations from the playoff selectors found the Crimson Tide sitting in the prestigious No. 5 ranking, well ahead of No. 13 ranked Tennessee.

That puts the Tide squarely inside the playoff bracket, and the Vols clearly outside. The reason? Alabama has a better body of work overall, according to College Football Playoff selection committee chairman Hunter Yurachek.

Why the higher ranking?

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“Alabama went on the road and beat the team we have ranked sixth this week in Kentucky. They also beat South Carolina, who is ranked. I think many forget they went on the road and beat Mississippi State when Mississippi State was undefeated and at full strength,” Yurachek told Rece Davis. 

“We really valued that as a strong win for Alabama back there in the early part of the season when [MSU] was, again, they had that quarterback in Kamario Taylor was very, very good and Mississippi State was on a roll at that time.”

He continued: “We see those as three quality wins. Yes, they had a loss to Tennessee. But Tennessee doesn’t have the same level of quality wins.”

He added: “They do have the win against Alabama, but you have to go a little deeper to see Tennessee with another quality win on their schedule.”

Ranking reveals CFP’s thinking

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The selection committee ranks teams in smaller “pods” of 4-6 close teams rather than comparing all 25 teams together at once. 

Head-to-head results only carry real weight only when two teams sit in the same pod. So, as Alabama and Tennessee weren’t in the same pod because the committee already saw a clear gap in their resumes, so the Vols’ win over the Tide never became a factor.

“When you’re trying to compare teams head to head, they have to be in the same pod to be compared head to head,” Yurachek said. 

“Alabama, Kentucky, were in the same pod. They were compared because of their head-to-head matchup, and so Alabama got the nod ahead of Kentucky because of that.”

Both teams have two losses. Alabama’s came against highly ranked opponents Georgia and Tennessee, which the selectors treat as high quality defeats.

Tennessee’s losses were viewed as less impressive. Combined with Alabama’s stronger road wins at Kentucky, South Carolina, and Mississippi State, the overall body of work clearly favored the Crimson Tide in the committee room.

The one thing we know? The games still to play on the 2026 schedule prove there will be plenty of changes in the rankings to come.