Comparing Alabama and Florida State’s CFP resumés ahead of final rankings
Alabama defeated Georgia in the SEC Championship in an upset that set the college football world ablaze. As we await the reveal of the final College Football Playoff rankings, it appears as if the debate comes down to the Crimson Tide vs. the Florida State Seminoles.
Though there are seven teams that could make arguments for being in the Playoffs, there are only four spots available.
Michigan is in, Washington is in and Texas is likely locked in too. The debate realistically is between the Tide and the Seminoles.
When comparing the two, here’s how their resumés stack up to one another.
Record
Florida State: 13-0 (ACC Champions)
Alabama: 12-1 (SEC Champions)
It’s obvious. The one thing keeping Alabama on the bubble instead of being arguably the top-ranked team is the Week 2 loss to Texas at home. Florida State has not lost a game, though the Seminoles have come close to losing numerous times against questionable opponents.
Ranked wins
Florida State: No. 13 LSU, No. 15 Louisville
Alabama: No. 1 Georgia, No. 11 Ole Miss, No. 13 LSU, No. 21 Tennessee
No other team has more ranked wins than Alabama, as the Seminoles only have half of what the Tide has achieved in that respect. It’s worth noting that Florida State’s best win is only Alabama’s third-best win.
Strength of record/Schedule
Strength of record:
Florida State: No. 3
Alabama: No. 4
Strength of Schedule:
Florida State: No. 55
Alabama: No. 5
One of these things is not like the other. Florida State has won the games on its schedule, most of them convincingly, which is one of the strongest arguments for the ACC team. However, Alabama’s argument would be that they rank only one spot lower on the strength of record while playing one of the hardest schedules in the nation.
Offensive ranking
Florida State: No. 31
Alabama: No. 48
Alabama’s offense has evolved greatly throughout this season. Offensive coordinator Tommy Rees has been stellar from the booth and Jalen Milroe has played himself into being a fringe Heisman candidate. However, Florida State’s offense has been outstanding all year with stars like Trey Benson and Keon Coleman. The only knock on this offense today is that the conductor of it all, quarterback Jordan Travis is out due to injury and his backup has also been banged up.
Defensive ranking
Florida State: No. 19
Alabama: No. 16
These rankings being close together may seem surprising to many, but they’ve both been effective in defending against the run game and the passing game.
FPI rank
Florida State: No. 11
Alabama: No. 5
When it comes to strength, Alabama has always been near the top. The politics of the ranking system has kept the Tide down in the rankings, but the numbers have continued to show: Alabama is one of the best teams in the nation. Florida State is not terribly far behind, just failing to reach the top 10.
