Can Alabama Still Secure a Spot in the College Football Playoff After Losing to Oklahoma?
On November 15, 2025, Alabama football faced a significant setback under head coach Kalen DeBoer, suffering a 23-21 defeat at home against Oklahoma at Bryant-Denny Stadium. This marked the first time during DeBoer’s tenure that the Crimson Tide lost a home game, and it dropped their record to 7-2 for the season. This loss was particularly painful as it came against an Oklahoma team that had previously dashed Alabama’s playoff aspirations last year.
This defeat was Alabama's first since their opening game against Florida State and their first home loss since Week 2 of the 2023 season, when they fell to Texas. However, despite this disappointing outcome, the Crimson Tide's chances of making the College Football Playoff (CFP) are not entirely extinguished. After failing to qualify for the playoffs in 2024, Alabama must address its issues and secure victories to remain in contention for the 12-team playoff format.
The situation is complicated by Florida State's struggles this season. Initially, Alabama's loss to the Seminoles seemed manageable as FSU climbed into the top 10, but their subsequent decline has not helped Alabama's case.
If Alabama can win all their remaining games, they are likely to remain in the playoff conversation. Last season, it took three losses to eliminate them from playoff contention, with two of those losses against teams that, while bowl-bound, were not considered elite.
Finishing the season strong is crucial, but the upcoming game against Auburn poses a challenge, especially given Alabama's inconsistent performance on the road during DeBoer’s time, with the Georgia game being a notable exception. Next week, Alabama will host Eastern Illinois in what is expected to be a straightforward win before heading into the Iron Bowl, a game notorious for its unpredictability at Jordan-Hare Stadium.
Last year, Alabama and the SEC were outraged when the CFP selection committee excluded the Tide from the playoffs despite their three losses. This led to pressure on the committee to revise its selection criteria to better reward teams with strong schedules.
Rich Clark, the executive director of the CFP, stated, "These changes will assist the selection committee in ranking the top 25 teams. We believe these adjustments will help create a postseason bracket that accurately reflects the best performances and teams during the regular season."
This season, it appears that a three-loss SEC team may receive more favorable consideration, which could benefit Alabama. However, to ensure their playoff hopes, Alabama must strive to be recognized as the top three-loss team in the conference. The road to the playoffs remains open, but if the team does not rectify its issues before the Iron Bowl, their chances could diminish significantly.
What do you think? Can Alabama bounce back and secure a playoff spot, or is this the beginning of the end for their season?
Note: This article was originally published by Matt Stahl, who covers University of Alabama sports for AL.com.
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