Alabama concluded the regular season with a 28-14 win in the Iron Bowl over Auburn. The Crimson Tide improved to 9-3 on the season and gave the College Football Playoff committee something to think about with a win.
Prior to rivalry weekend, Alabama needed some help from other teams to increase their odds of potentially reaching the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff. That happened to an extent. The No. 6 Miami Hurricanes suffered their second loss of the season at the hands of an unranked Syracuse team. No. 12 Clemson lost a nail-biter against No. 15 South Carolina.