Alabama could sneak into College Football Playoff as Miami falls outside in rankings

The final College Football Playoff rankings before Sunday’s bracket reveal offered a clue at the controversy that potentially awaits.

After seven ranked teams lost over the weekend, the fifth set of rankings saw Alabama jump up to No. 11 after its win, while Miami dropped to No. 12 after its second loss of the season, making the Hurricanes the first team out of the projected bracket.

Much was made of the three 9-3 SEC teams — Alabama, Ole Miss (No. 13) and South Carolina (No. 14).

After a resounding win over unranked Auburn in the Iron Bowl, Alabama is in position to make the 12-team playoff.

The No. 11 ranking reflects Alabama’s loss to unranked Oklahoma two weeks ago, but also, on Saturday, the Crimson Tide’s dominant performance behind quarterback Jalen Milroe — who accounted for 360 all-purpose yards and three touchdowns.

All in all it’s been an up-and-down season with tall peaks — wins over Georgia, South Carolina, Missouri, and LSU — mired by deep, dark valleys.

The Crimson Tide, who did not qualify for the SEC championship game, are left to wait and see.

Ole Miss, bested Mississippi State by a score of 26-14 to win the Egg Bowl, dropped to No. 13 in the rankings and is on the outside looking in.

The performance on Saturday wasn’t exactly inspiring; it was a competitive game, with the Rebels making the 2-10 Bulldogs look, well, competitive.

It’s hard to believe that this is the same Ole Miss team that defeated the other Bulldogs — the ones from Georgia, then ranked seventh in the nation — by a score of 28-10 less than a month ago.

As with the Crimson Tide, the Rebels are without a championship game berth and left hoping for the best. 

South Carolina, No. 14, sits in perhaps the funkiest spot of these three-loss SEC rivals.

The Gamecocks beat a ranked team in Clemson last week, but they’ve also dropped head-to-head matchups against both the Crimson Tide and the Rebels.

One of those contests was a much closer affair than the other — Ole Miss pummeled South Carolina 27-3, while Alabama barely scrapped by, 27-25. 

Other teams of note include the SMU Mustangs, who came in at No. 8.

In their first season in the ACC, the Mustangs earned themselves a trip to the title game against 17th-ranked Clemson.

Win, and they’re in. 

Elsewhere in the ACC, Miami is on the outside looking in as the first team out after dropping its second game of the season.

The loss to Syracuse likely knocks the Hurricanes from playoff contention.

Oregon (11-0) remains No. 1, followed by Texas (11-1), Penn State (11-1) and Notre Dame (11-1).

A trio of 10-2 in Georgia, Ohio State and Tennessee sit in fifth, sixth and seventh, respectively.

Indiana (11-1) came in at No. 9.

Arizona State, at 15th, would get in as the automatic Big 12 qualifier.