CFP Selection Committee chairman Boo Coorigan explains why Alabama is ranked ahead of Vols

Tennessee’s loss at South Carolina on November 19 kept the Vols ranked behind Alabama in Tuesday night’s updated College Football Top 25.

Josh Heupel’s team moved up three spots from No. 10 to No. 7, but came in just behind No. 6 Alabama.

According to Boo Coorigan, the College Football Playoff Selection Committee chairman, the head-to-head result between Tennessee and Alabama was “very much debated amongst the committee”and the Vols having a more recent loss by a greater margin “weighed on the committee.”

“It was very much debated amongst the committee, and a lot of conversation around that,” Coorigan said during a conference call with reporters after the reveal of the new rankings. “The value of head-to-head is certainly one of the criteria that we look at.”

Tennessee (10-2, 6-2 SEC) has the advantage there, thanks to its 52-49 win over Alabama (10-2, 6-2) at Neyland Stadium on October 15.

The Crimson Tide has the advantage when it comes to recency. Alabama lost at Tennessee and in overtime at No. 14 LSU, 32-31, on November 5. 

Recent losses keeping Tennessee ranked behind Alabama, despite head-to-head result

The Vols lost at South Carolina, 63-38, on November 19 and at current-No. 1 Georgia, 27-13, on November 5. The Gamecocks were ranked No. 19 on Tuesday after back-to-back wins over Tennessee and Clemson.  

Alabama’s best wins this season, according to the current rankings, were at No. 20 Texas and at home against No. 24 Mississippi State, with road losses at No. 7 Tennessee and No. 14 LSU.

Tennessee’s best wins were over No. 6 Alabama and at No. 14 LSU, 40-13. 

“We’re looking at a full body of work,” Coorigan said, continuing his explanation of Alabama ranked ahead of Tennessee, “and when you look at their two losses by Alabama, including one on a last-second field goal to Tennessee, and then you’re measuring – somewhere in there you’ve got to measure the loss that Tennessee had to South Carolina, and as we went through that. 

“That was part of the determination as to why to have Alabama ahead of Tennessee.”

Up Next: Vols await bowl selection announcement on Sunday

Coorigan said that the rankings outside of the top four — Ohio State is the new No. 5, ahead of Alabama and Tennessee — could still change despite the teams not playing during championship weekend.

Alabama and Tennessee are off, awaiting the bowl selections on Sunday, while Georgia and LSU play for the SEC Championship in Atlanta. Michigan will play Purdue in the Big Ten title game in Indianapolis.

“We deal with where we are right now,” Coorigan said. “There’s a number of championship games to be played, and we’ll deal with the championship games and everything from that point moving forward.”

Four of the top-nine teams from last week’s rankings lost on Saturday — No. 2 Ohio State, No. 6 LSU, No. 8 Clemson and No. 9 Oregon.

The Buckeyes only dropped three spots to No. 5 despite losing by 22 points at home to Michigan, the new No. 2 in this week’s ranking.

“We try to evaluate every team on an individual basis as we go through this,” Coorigan said, “and as we looked at it, Ohio State and their two good wins over Penn State and over Notre Dame overshadowed Alabama and Tennessee from the standpoint of two close losses for Alabama, a couple good wins over Texas and Mississippi State.

“And then with regards to Tennessee, I think that loss against South Carolina really weighed with the committee.”