With the exception of 2019, when Alabama lost to LSU and rival Auburn during the regular season, coach Nick Saban has led the Tide to the College Football Playoff every season of its existence. So following his team's disappointing 52-49 loss to Tennessee on Saturday, it was no surprise to hear Saban immediately reset with the plan to return.
"We can accomplish every goal that we had at the start of the season," he said. "There's no room for error in the West."
No pressure.
The wild Week 7 was arguably the season's most entertaining Saturday to date, and it provided an exclamation point halfway through the season -- a reminder that even the most elite teams in the country shouldn't get too comfortable at the top. The undefeated No. 3 Vols (6-0) have played their way into the conversation, while No. 5 Clemson (7-0), No. 7 Ole Miss (7-0), No. 8 TCU (6-0) and No. 9 UCLA (6-0) are also still undefeated. There's a smattering of one-loss teams joining Alabama as legitimate contenders, including No. 10 Oregon (5-1), No. 11 Oklahoma State (5-1) and No. 12 USC (6-1). It's a colorful variety of jerseys in the mix, and there are still 10 teams with at least a 5% chance to reach the playoff, according to the Allstate Playoff Predictor, but the story is still unfolding.
The CFP selection committee doesn't release its first of six rankings until Nov. 1, when they'll have a much clearer picture after two full months of results. Not that there isn't anything to be gleaned from what we've seen so far. As Saban hits the reset button, so do we, looking back at how the CFP race has unfolded over the first half of the season. Here's what we've learned so far, the games that will shape the second half, conference power rankings and remaining questions for the committee ahead of Selection Day on Dec. 4.
What we've learned so far
• The SEC is deeper than Alabama and Georgia. It's also Tennessee and Ole Miss. Of course, Alabama and Ole Miss face each other Nov. 12, and Tennessee travels to Georgia on Nov. 5, so this will settle itself on the field. What this depth does, though, is bolster the SEC's chances of getting two teams in the top four (again), and creates the possibility of even three SEC teams. There's no limit to how many teams one league can earn semifinal spots. It also allows an entirely new scenario -- Tennessee and Ole Miss could play for the SEC title (gasp!).