Alabama Could Reach CFP First-Round Bye as Texas Nears Top-Four Seed

Alabama secured a 31-13 win over LSU inside Death Valley, shifting the team’s postseason trajectory and putting a first-round College Football Playoff bye within reach.

Kalen DeBoer and the Crimson Tide delivered a convincing road performance on Saturday, silencing critics who questioned the team’s No. 5 spot in the inaugural committee rankings.

That breakthrough victory brings an unexpected complication in the race for a top-four seed, according to ESPN’s Heather Dinich. While Alabama could climb to No. 3 in Tuesday’s rankings, Texas is breathing down the program’s neck at No. 4.

The Longhorns strengthened their resume with a 34-20 road win over No. 23 Missouri, marking their fourth victory against a team ranked in the CFP Top 25. Texas also holds a marquee nonconference win over then-No. 1 Ohio State and an earlier 20-17 victory in Knoxville against Tennessee. By comparison, Alabama lost by 16 on the road in Knoxville weeks ago.

With no regular-season head-to-head game scheduled between the two SEC programs, the final weeks of the schedule will dictate the seeding battle. Texas faces a closing stretch that includes a road game at LSU, a home matchup against Arkansas, and a regular-season finale at Texas A&M.

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Alabama closes its schedule with a road trip to Nashville to face Vanderbilt, followed by home games against Chattanooga and Auburn. At 7-2 with a 96% playoff probability, the Tide control their own destiny.

Finishing 10-2 with a victory over Vanderbilt and winning out leaves the committee no choice but to lock in a top-four spot and secure a vital week of postseason rest heading into December and January.