No. 1 Alabama certainly has a shot to make the College Football Playoffs this season, but outspoken FOX Sports personality Colin Cowherd thinks that shot would be lost if the Crimson Tide lose a single game.
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It's well worth noting that a one-loss Alabama team has made the CFP twice before, in both 2014 and 2015, so it's not like one loss will automatically kick the Crimson Tide out.
With that said, Cowherd still feels that one loss might, and that's because of the strength of the rest of the nation. Specifically, he feels the Big 12, ACC, Pac-12 and Big Ten all have great claims to one (or more) of the top four.
Here's what he said, as transcribed by Talal Elmasry of SEC Country:
"If Alabama loses a game in the SEC, out, SEC isn't going to have anybody in the final four, because either Oklahoma or Oklahoma State is in. They're in," Cowherd said. "Clemson, look at their schedule, in. Big Ten winner? In. If Washington or USC go unbeaten, cross your fingers, because if Alabama's got a loss, I will not put a one-loss SEC team in."
"The Tide has totally turned that the old way of an SEC team gets in with a loss ... you have to go unbeaten in the SEC now. The conference is not good enough."
Cowherd's comments on the SEC not being good enough are interesting because ironically enough, there are six SEC teams in the latest AP Top 25. To Cowherd's point, though, the Big Ten is looking very strong this year (with Penn State, Michigan, Wisconsin and Ohio State all looking good) and the ACC could produce a contender in Clemson. The Big 12 has Oklahoma and Oklahoma State, which are two teams capable of playing in the CFP, and the Pac-12 features CFP contenders in USC and Washington.
The SEC could very well be the odd-man-out this season, especially if Alabama can't run the table.
The Crimson Tide do have a tough schedule the rest of the way. Vanderbilt on the road won't be easy this weekend — even for No. 1 Alabama — and they still have games against No. 25 LSU, No. 17 Mississippi State and at No. 15 Auburn. That's not even counting interesting clashes against Texas A&M, Arkansas, and Tennessee.
Nick Saban's path to yet another CFP won't be easy, but he's arguably the best college football coach of all-time, so are you willing to bet against him?
Apparently, Cowherd is.
