NCAAF Alabama football fan rooting guide: Week 3
Alabama football’s loss to Texas at home in Week 2 was devastating for the Crimson Tide’s chances of reaching the College Football Playoff. Heading into Week 3 against USF, Alabama ranks No. 10 in the latest AP top-25 poll.
This means the Crimson Tide will have quite an uphill battle to try and reach the top four by the end of the regular season.
Even if Alabama goes undefeated to finish the regular season, there are still a few obstacles the team will need to overcome to be considered one of the best four teams in the nation.
Here is a rooting guide for Crimson Tide football fans in Week 3, as Alabama may need a bit of help from teams going against other top-10 programs ranked ahead of them.
Teams behind the Tide
A few teams behind Alabama are No. 14 LSU, No. 13 Oregon, No. 12 Utah and No. 11 Tennessee.
LSU vs. Mississippi State: Mississippi State
Oregon vs. Hawai’i: Hawai’i
Utah vs. Weber State: Weber State
Tennessee vs. Florida: Florida
Overall, most of these games won’t mean much in terms of the rankings, unless there’s an upset, of course. Even if a win boosts a team to move up, three of these four games wouldn’t push voters to place the victors into the top 10.
The only game that could be of consequence for the Crimson Tide is between the Vols and Florida. A dominant win for Tennessee could result in the Vols jumping the Crimson Tide to enter the top 10.
No. 9 Notre Dame vs. Central Michigan
Rooting recommendation: Central Michigan to at least keep it close, a win is preferable.
It’s not likely that Central Michigan walks away with a win here, but it’s certainly possible. Alabama fans may not want to sit down and watch a full four quarters of this one, but at least keep an eye on it to see if the Fighting Irish slip up and look like a non-top-10 team.
No. 8 Washington vs. Michigan State
Rooting recommendation: Michigan State to win.
Washington looks solid, however, they will have to travel to Michigan State to take on the Spartans, which aren’t in the best place right now amid the ongoing investigation into Mel Tucker. An upset here is definitely a possibility and it would be a huge help for the Crimson Tide.
No. 7 Penn State vs. Illinois
Rooting recommendation: Illinois outright.
Penn State looks great, but Illinois does not. Through two weeks, the Illini are 1-1 with a close win over Toledo and a 12-point loss to Kansas. The Nittany Lions will be the visiting team for this matchup, but it shouldn’t make much of a difference. Not likely that the outcome of this one benefits Alabama unless Illinois walks away from Week 3 with a 2-1 record.
No. 6 Ohio State vs. Western Kentucky
Rooting recommendation: Western Kentucky to keep it close, or win it.
What an upset this would be if Western Kentucky came out on top. That probably won’t be the case, but it might be possible for the Hilltoppers to keep it close. While the Buckeyes are 2-0, they haven’t looked like a dominant team. The Week 1 win over Indiana finished with a 23-3 score and the offense headlined by potential Heisman candidate wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. only put up 35 against Youngstown State at home. Voters should already be weary of Ohio State at this point, a close game could be enough to drop them in the rankings.
No. 4 Texas vs. Wyoming
Rooting recommendation: Texas to win it
While this may confuse some fans, I encourage you to consider this: What do you want Alabama’s resumé at the end of the regular season to look like? If the Tide can run through the rest of the season without another loss, the College Football Playoff committee may not weigh the loss to Texas as heavily if the Longhorns are dominant. A loss to Wyoming at home makes Alabama’s loss to Texas look even worse.
No. 3 Florida State vs. Boston College
Rooting recommendation: Boston College to do literally anything.
Boston College’s single win on the season is a three-point win over Holy Cross, Week 1 was a loss to Northern Illinois. This game is in Boston, but that won’t matter. Florida State is playing like the best team in the nation.
No. 2 Michigan vs. Bowling Green
Rooting recommendation: Bowling Green to limit the damage.
Michigan, like Florida State, is going to remain undefeated heading into Week 4. If they don’t, then it would be one of the biggest upsets in recent history since… Michigan lost to App State in 2007. No real reason to tune in to this one if you’re watching for Alabama reasons.
No. 1 Georgia vs. South Carolina
Rooting recommendation: South Carolina to win it.
Keeping it close would likely result in having Georgia slip a little in the rankings, but not enough to make a difference for Alabama. The Bulldogs have won both games agains Tennessee-Martin and Ball State, but haven’t looked like back-to-back national champions while doing it. South Carolina will be the first true test for this team. The Gamecocks already played UNC, albeit they lost, but this team has had an opportunity to be battle tested and improve. With this one being in Athens, be on the lookout for a sneaky good game.
