Alabama just jumped to No. 6 in the latest AP Top 25 poll, but you gotta wonder what they gotta do to crack that top five. After a historic win in the SEC, the Crimson Tide are staring down a massive clash with No. 2 Georgia next weekend. The stakes are already through the roof.
Tide Rises, But Gets a Raw Deal?
The Crimson Tide moved up from No. 7 to No. 6 after absolutely shellacking No. 16 Mississippi State 56-23. Seriously, 56 points! That was the most points a ranked home team had ever given up in a regulation game in SEC history. Alabama straight up embarrassed them. That win pushed them past undefeated Indiana, who fell to No. 7. Given that kind of performance and the historic nature of it, you’d think No. 5 would be a lock, right?
But nope, they’re stuck at No. 6. It’s kinda wild when you look at who’s above them. Texas at No. 1 makes sense, they’ve got impressive wins over Ohio State and Tennessee. But Notre Dame? They struggled against a “not-great” North Carolina team before finally pulling away. Zero top-25 wins for those guys! You can even make arguments about No. 5 Ohio State (undefeated versus Bama’s one-loss) and No. 4 Miami with their weak schedule. There’s really not a huge difference between No. 6 and No. 5, sure, but Alabama’s resume screams top-five status.
Wild Shifts Across the Top 25
While Alabama is making noise, there were some other huge moves in the rankings this week. Florida took a nosedive, falling from No. 8 all the way to No. 16 after getting smoked 45-17 by Missouri. On the flip side, Missouri rocketed up 11 spots, jumping from No. 25 to No. 14. That’s a massive leap! Iowa also dropped six spots to No. 20 after their 31-14 loss to No. 6 Ohio State.
The only new crew in the Top 25 club is Pittsburgh, riding a hot 5-0 start and a Friday night win over Virginia Tech, landing them at No. 25. Meanwhile, Kentucky somehow fell out of the Top 25 entirely, even after winning in overtime against South Carolina. You gotta love college football chaos.
Now, all eyes are on Bryant-Denny Stadium this Saturday. Alabama hosts No. 2 Georgia in what’s going to be an absolutely pivotal SEC showdown. Alabama has won the last two regular-season games against Georgia, though they did lose to them in the SEC Championship Game last year. This isn’t just a regular game; it’s a statement game for Alabama to prove they belong in that top-five conversation, and maybe even higher.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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