Despite losses, Alabama still has clear path to College Football Playoff

It's been a disappointing season in Tuscaloosa thus far, to say the least.

The Alabama Crimson Tide currently sit at 5-2 and firmly out of contention for the SEC Championship game — at least for now — and we're not even in November yet. Despite a win over Georgia in Tuscaloosa, Alabama has two SEC losses, including an upset defeat against Vanderbilt and then a rivalry loss to Tennessee this past weekend.

It's been easy for opposing college football fans to pile on, and honestly, it's fair to do so. Alabama under Kalen DeBoer hasn't looked like the same program. They're undisciplined at times. The defense has been questionable. The offense has been unable to sustain drives, relying solely on explosive plays to score points. It's not at all what we've grown accustomed to seeing in Tuscaloosa.

This past week, in particular, has been tough for Alabama fans. We've seen numerous fans call out both DeBoer and offensive coordinator Nick Sheridan. The lack of identity is apparent in Alabama so far, and if it weren't for a freshman phenom in Ryan Williams, the Crimson Tide might very well already have three, possibly even four, losses.

All that being said, the path to the College Football Playoff is still as wide open as ever. The margin for error is slim, but Alabama still controls its own destiny in getting to the playoff. Will the Crimson Tide be playing in Atlanta for the SEC Championship? Most likely not, without some crazy chaotic scenario playing out.

But, if Alabama wins out its remaining schedule, the Crimson Tide will still be in the big dance, especially if Georgia continues to impress and Tennessee and Vanderbilt remain ranked.

There's no way that the committee would leave out a 10-2 Alabama team from the 12-team playoff. It's just not going to happen. The question is if the Crimson Tide can find a way to win their remaining five games to get to that mark.

The next two will tell that story. Alabama will host Missouri this Saturday in a game the Crimson Tide absolutely must win. If they're able to pick up a home win, they'll stare down a trip to Baton Rouge with their postseason hopes on the line and two weeks to prepare. Winning in Death Valley is not easy and Alabama certainly won't be favored heading into this one, but this will be a chance for DeBoer to win back over the masses and vault Bama into legitimate playoff contention with three weeks remaining.

After those two, Bama will close the year out with three games it should win — vs. Mercer, @ Oklahoma, and vs. Auburn. It's not to say that any of those will be easy, but those are matchups the Crimson Tide should win.

If Jalen Milroe can return to his earlier season form and the Tide offense can come back alive, there's no reason to believe Alabama can't compete in any of those five games. Is there a scenario where they lose two more and finish the year 8-4? Sure, but there's also a scenario where they go on a five-game winning streak and are one of the hottest teams in the nation heading into the College Football Playoff.

Which one will it be? It all starts this Saturday with Missouri.

Alabama and Missouri will kickoff at 3:30 p.m. E.T. on ABC.

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