Alabama football found itself Tuesday in a situation it has not been in for eight years.
The College Football Playoff originated in 2014 to do away with the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) era. Alabama opened the inaugural installment of CFP rankings at No. 6 on Oct. 28, 2014. Since then, the lowest starting ranking for the Crimson Tide to open a week-by-week process was fifth in 2015. Nick Saban’s team opened Tuesday’s rankings for 2022 at No. 6 for the playoff.
Blake Sims, a former Alabama quarterback, led the 2014 squad to a Southeastern Conference Championship and a playoff berth.