Jordan Rodgers explains why Alabama fans 'need to be Vandy fans' down the stretch

No. 10 Alabama, coming off its second loss of the season last weekend, finds itself in the final at-large spot for the College Football Playoff. Now, to ensure the Tide remains in the field by the time it’s selected in two weeks, Jordan Rodgers says the Crimson Tide may need more help than just the teams in front of them losing.

Looking ahead to this weekend of college football on ‘Get Up’ on Friday, Rodgers was asked if he thought that Alabama needed a team like No. 7 Oregon to lose tomorrow to No. 15 USC in order to improve its chances of being in the CFP. And, obviously, a loss by the Ducks, or any other team playing for an at-large ahead of them, would be beneficial for ‘Bama.

But, Rodgers thinks that Alabama’s case could more so come down to needing its wins to regain some of their value. Of the Tide’s eight wins, they had a four-game streak of victories over Georgia, Vanderbilt, Missouri, and Tennessee, who, at the time, were all in the Top 20 of the AP Poll. The ones over the Bulldogs and Commodores have held up well enough with UGA at No. 4 and Vandy at No. 14, respectively, in the latest edition of the CFP Rankings.

But the wins over the Tigers and Volunteers have lost some of their value as each is now a three-loss team with UT at No. 20 and Mizzou at No. 22. Rodgers says, because of that, Alabama actually now needs to focus as much on the teams it has already beaten as the ones ranked before them. Some of those scenarios are difficult because Vanderbilt vs. Tennessee will be played next Saturday to give one of those two a guaranteed loss, while Missouri has a chance tomorrow to beat Oklahoma – who beat ‘Bama just last weekend in Tuscaloosa.

“The committee has shown that they still don’t like that Florida State loss for Alabama. But, I’m going to give you a couple more teams to watch, because, if you’re Alabama, you’re really being held up right now by your strength of schedule,” Rodgers said. “Four ranked wins on your resumé? Problem is those are Vandy, Missouri, and Tennessee. Missouri and Tennessee are 20 and 23 in the country. You need those teams to keep winning. They need to be Vandy fans. Vandy needs to beat Kentucky, a sneaky game this week, and then they have Tennessee.”

“There’s a chance that two of those teams, two of those three, might not be ranked by the end of the year. So, if Alabama doesn’t have Vandy keep winning, or Missouri loses and drops out, Tennessee drops out? That resumé starts to look worse. And the committee, again, continues to focus on that early loss against Florida State. So, now, if the strength of schedule isn’t as good, it doesn’t matter what happens to Oregon. They might be on the outside looking in.”

Alabama has its opportunities to end these debates, from the selection committee or otherwise, by handling its business over the next sixteen days. But, at least while they’re on the bubble, even though they’re on the right side of it for right now, the Crimson Tide could use some additional help elsewhere around the country until then.