Greg McElroy believes Alabama’s best path to the College Football Playoff is through the ACC

When Alabama suffered his third defeat against Oklahomathe simple assumption was theirs College Football Playoffs The hopes were over. The path to the SEC Championship was blocked and entering as an all-rounder seemed almost impossible. But ESPN’s Greg McElroy still sees a path for the Crimson Tide to make the 12-team field.

“I think the best chance for them is for the committee to take Alabama’s resume and compare it to the runner-up in the ACC,” McElroy said. “I think that’s what it might come down to. Will the committee currently favor SMU or Miami if they are 11-2 and the ACC runner-up? Or are they 9-3 Alabama assuming they win this weekend? I think that’s the big conversation that can be had on Selection Sunday.”

Of course, this is ahead of Tuesday’s latest CFP rankings. The committee could well let Alabama fall far enough where even the most chaotic weekend slate is no longer enough. Excitements such as Vanderbilt above Tennessee would at least be helpful. Texas A&M disappear from the scene through defeat Texas was also mentioned by the ESPN analyst.

But McElroy believes an ACC comparison could be the deciding factor.

SMU is already tied to the ACC title game. Either Miami or Clemson will join them in Charlotte. Mario CristobalThe team will go if they can beat Syracuse in their season finale. Otherwise, the Tigers have a chance to once again win the conference they have dominated in recent years.

McElroy uses SMU and Miami in his scenario, which guarantees multiple losses for the ACC runner-up. Yes, two errors are more than three, but Alabama would certainly have better wins than any of the ACC programs. It’s about how the committee sees them in direct comparison.

Alabama has a tough rivalry game against Auburn You have to win on deck for this potential scenario to even come to life. A 12-man field really expands who can compete for a national championship and quality wins, such as: Georgia And South Carolina can help the Crimson Tide a lot.