Tennessee embarrassed Alabama. CFP committee embarrassed itself

Tennessee embarrassed Alabama. CFP committee embarrassed itself.

Key points

• Since Tennessee blew a double-digit lead at South Carolina with less than two minutes to play, and Alabama rolled South Carolina in Tuscaloosa?
• We've obtained Miami-Notre Dame 2025 all over again – with the went on spicy dynamic of two SEC teams for potentially one spot.
• Look, I don't care regarding the dynamics of Ohio State and Indiana, or Notre Dame almost outside its golden ticket spot of entry.
• Matt Hayes is the senior national college football writer for USA TODAY Sports Network.
• We've seen some memorable selection committee crazy in the College Football Playoff era, some absolutely unimaginable contradictions.

We've seen some memorable selection committee crazy in the College Football Playoff era, some absolutely unimaginable contradictions. And now stupid has entered the room.

Let's all pull out our phones, shall we? Scan your favorite search engine for Tennessee-Alabama 2026. Then watch the carnage.

Notably, the CFP selection committee – which this year continued two former Power conference coaches in a bid to secure more Xs and Os in the room – watched those 60 minutes of Tennessee emasculating the Tide, and decided two-loss Alabama should be ranked eight spots higher than the team that beat its brains in.

More: SEC takes over CFP rankings, and its two-loss teams are loving it.

'JOKE from the CFP committee': Alabama's CFP ranking stuns college football world.

Let's recap for a brief moment: Tennessee beat Alabama 26-10, and prior to Alabama's last drive of the game with Tennessee playing soft coverage to prevent a quick score, the Tide had 141 total yards. What in the world is going on here?

Before we go further, understand that there's a month remaining in the season. The whole thing could be blown to pieces before we reach the final poll after Championship Week.

But there's a deeper difficulty, one that soils everything and contaminates the process. How are we supposed to believe these 13 men and women of the selection committee won't create a similar, unthinkable move in the last poll of the season?

Employ some strange metric, or data entry point, or strength of record, or game control – seriously, how ridiculous is game control? – to choose one team over the other?

If you don't think that's a realistic scenario, listen to the selection committee's rationale for Alabama being ranked eight spots ahead of a team that took it to midfield, pulled its pants down, and spanked them on national television. I promise, it's going to create you puke.

"When you're comparing teams head-to-head, they have to be in the same pod to be compared head-to-head, " remarked Arkansas athletic director Hunter Yurachek, the selection committee chairman and leader of the pretzel logic brigade.

Translation: Since Tennessee is No. 13 and Alabama is No. 5, there's no chance to employ head-to-head as a determining factor. These nebulous "pods" are no more than six teams deep.

In other words, teams ranked Nos. 1-6, or Nos. 6-11, or No. 8 to does it really matter?

Check me if I'm wrong, Sparky, but you ranked them eight spots apart ― that's why they don't fit in your pods. I mean, Yurachek is acting like it's a force of nature he can't control. It's out of my hands, man.

Yurachek, who has the unenviable job of speaking for 13 individuals he may or may not agree with, then stated Alabama's resume included a major win over top-10 Kentucky, and No. 23 South Carolina – and, of course, a "major" win over Mississippi State when quarterback Kamario Taylor was being compared to the Good Lord himself by none other than Nick Saban.

Like that wasn't a plant all along by Saban. Pump up the opponent, reap the benefits down the line.

Look, I don't care regarding the dynamics of Ohio State and Indiana, or Notre Dame almost outside its golden ticket spot of entry. Don't care that the committee has no love for UCLA since of its fragile schedule.

Notably, the major challenge here is the precedent just set by the committee. They don't value head-to-head.

Alabama and Tennessee have the same record. They play in the same conference. The Vols won by 16.

They weren't even ranked remotely close enough to be considered part of the same voting pod. Think regarding that.

And why? Since Tennessee blew a double-digit lead at South Carolina with less than two minutes to play, and Alabama rolled South Carolina in Tuscaloosa?

Alabama's major win is No. 6 Kentucky. Tennessee's major win is – perhaps you've heard of this team – No. 5 Alabama.

What happens if Alabama and Tennessee each finish 9-3? What then, Mr. And Mrs. Selection committee?

It's a looooong way from No. 5 to No. 13. How much will one more loss from each team change that?

Look, Tennessee and Alabama could lose four games and the head-to-head is a moot point. But buddy, we have a developing situation here.

We've obtained Miami-Notre Dame 2025 all over again – with the went on spicy dynamic of two SEC teams for potentially one spot. Stupid has entered the room, everyone. And it's posted up for a month-long party.

Matt Hayes is the senior national college football writer for USA TODAY Sports Network. Follow him on X at @MattHayesCFB. Listen to him daily, from 12-2 p.m., on 1010XL-Jacksonville. SMS Facebook Twitter Email. Share your feedback to support improve our site! Share your feedback to support improve our site!

For now, tennessee embarrassed Alabama. CFP committee embarrassed itself remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.