When the College Football Playoff featured just four teams, only twice in 10 years was Alabama absent from the field. Now, in the first year with 12 teams, the Crimson Tide might also be on the outside looking in.
Just a few days ago, it looked like Alabama was in charge of its destiny, and was the one team that no one wanted to face. Then on Saturday in Norman, Oklahoma, the Tide couldn’t stop shooting itself in the foot. Three interceptions on offense and just 70 yards rushing, combined with giving up 257 rushing yards to Oklahoma led to an embarrassing 24-3 loss.
It was Alabama’s lowest-scoring game since 2004, and it leaves them with three losses in the SEC and no longer in the running to get into the SEC Championship Game.
Without a chance at the SEC title, Alabama has to rely on getting an at-large bid for the CFP, which becomes far more precarious with three losses and a bad loss to an unranked Oklahoma this late in the season.
Alabama is now paying -240 to miss the playoffs, and +180 to make the playoffs. When the CFP rankings were first released, bookmakers were paying -150 on Alabama to be in the playoffs.
Current CFP Odds
The committee that ranks the top 12 college football teams will have the final say on which teams gets into the postseason tournament. But oddsmakers are pretty good at making their own predictions.
No.1 Oregon and No. 2 Ohio State are no longer on the “To Make the College Football Playoff” board. Barring an asteroid strike, they are in. Georgia is also presumed in the field, and these three teams are the three favorites to win the national championship. OSU is paying +250, Georgia is +350, and Oregon is +400. Texas is just behind them at +450, and they go to the SEC Championship Game with a win this weekend over Texas A&M.
Indiana had a rough one in Columbus, but they should have no trouble with Purdue to close out the season. They are -2000 to be in the CFP, and Notre Dame is -650 after their win over Army. Tennessee was an easy winner, and they are a safe bet to be in the CFP at -500. Boise State (-300), Miami (-240), and SMU (-150) are also all favored to get in.
Mississippi was one of the SEC teams looking to get in, but their upset loss to Florida now has them at +220 to get in. Colorado was manhandled by Kansas, and the Buffaloes have fallen all the way to +600 to get in. For Kansas, the Jayhawks became the first team with a losing record to beat three ranked opponents in consecutive weeks (Iowa State, BYU, Colorado).
Clemson is +200 to get in the College Football Playoff, and they play South Carolina this weekend, which is at +250 to get in. (Clemson is favored by 2.5 points.) BYU, which once looked like a top-four seed when they were rolling to a possible undefeated Big 12 title, is now at +310 to make the playoff.
With over 25 years of experience as a distinguished sports writer for renowned platforms such as Fox Sports and ESPN, Kyle Garlett is a sports betting specialist who has been at the forefront of documenting the global surge in sports betting and online gaming. Based in Denver, Colorado, Kyle hosts an NFL betting YouTube show and podcast. Kyle also has two sports books published by HarperCollins.
Kyle graduated the Azusa Pacific University in 1996 with a B.A. Degree in Communication and Journalism.
