Questionable shake-up atop AP’s NCAAF rankings

Alabama’s elevation to the No. 1 spot is questionable. 

While the Crimson Tide are coming off a victory over Georgia in Week 5, the impressiveness of the win is undercut somewhat by the fact that Alabama squandered a 28-point lead. With less than seven minutes remaining in the second quarter, Alabama was ahead 28-0. Over the next 34 minutes of playing time, however, Georgia went on a 34-5 scoring blitz to take a 34-33 lead. Despite ultimately coming out on top, Alabama surrendered 519 total yards and 25 first downs.

After the unranked Kentucky Wildcats held Georgia to 13 points in Week 4, Alabama giving up 34 points raises a red flag.

By contrast, in sprinting to a 5-0 record, the Texas Longhorns have dominated their opponents, outscoring them 225-35. That works out to an average 45-7 winning margin per game. Furthermore, one of their victories was in an away game against the defending national champion, No. 10 Michigan. 

Without their starting quarterback, Quinn Ewers, the Longhorns won their inaugural Southeastern Conference game, beating Mississippi State 35-13.

Given the foregoing circumstances, one searches in vain for a rational justification to move the Longhorns below the Crimson Tide in the rankings. However, Georgia will soon function as a measuring stick between Texas and Alabama. On Oct. 19, the Longhorns host Georgia at DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin. In that contest, Texas has the opportunity to deliver a more impressive performance against the Bulldogs than Alabama’s, thereby showing it deserves the No. 1 spot.