1 Alabama entered the College Rugby Round with a 11-1 record and a chance to win a seventh national championship under Nick Saban.
The Crimson Tide has been a regular CFP, and they’re strong contenders against Cincinnati No. 4 on December 31 during the Cotton Bowl Classic at AT&T Stadium.
Here’s a closer look at Alabama’s playoff history and why the Crimson Tide will (or won’t) win the national championship in 2021:
SEX: Expansion? For 2021, a four-team field is enough
Alabama’s College Football Playoff History
Alabama will make its seventh appearance in the College Football Round. The Crimson Tide missed the Playoffs in 2019, breaking a 5-year record. Alabama won the CFP championship for four consecutive seasons from 2015-18 and it won the national championship in 2015, 2017 and 2020
| Year | Places | Result |
| 2014 | first | Losing 4th place Ohio State 42-35 |
| 2015 | 2 | Beat Michigan State No. 3 38-0, beat No. 1 Clemson 45-40 |
| 2016 | first | Beat No. 4 Washington 24-7, lost to Clemson No. 2 with a score of 35-31 |
| 2017 | 4 | Beat No. 1 Clemson 24-6, beat No. 3 Georgia 26-23 |
| 2018 | first | Beat Oklahoma No. 4 45-34, lost to Clemson No. 2 44-16 |
| Year 2020 | first | Beat No. 4 Notre-Dame Cathedral 31-14, Beat No. 3 Ohio State 52-24 |
| Year 2021 | first | compared to number 4 Cincinnati |
This is the fifth time the Crimson Tide has ranked #1 in the CFP rankings. They won the national championship as the number 1 seed last year.
THAN: ‘Below’ Alabama, Bryce Young beat No. 1 Georgia
CFP Championship Odds
According to Fanduel.com, Crimson Tide has the best odds to win the national championship.
| SCHOOLS | ODDS |
| Alabama | +120 |
| Georgia | +135 |
| Michigan | +750 |
| Cincinnati | +1800 |
Odds between Alabama vs. Cincinnati
According to FanDuel.com, Alabama is a 14-point favorite ahead of Cincinnati in the Cotton Bowl. The Crimson Tide is 7-6 ATS this season. Cincinnati is 8-5 ATS.
Why Alabama will win the national title
Have you watched the Georgia game? The Crimson Tide has the best foul in a four-team playoff; an average of 42.5 points per game. Midfielder Bryce Young is currently a heavyweight player who won the Heisman Trophy. He passed 4,322 yards, 43 TDs and four interceptions. Young was unstoppable in the SEC championship game and was the most dynamic quarterback in the playoffs.
The Crimson Tide will also pull down a host of other national awards, including recipient Jameson Williams (1,445 yards, 15 TDs) and quarterback Will Anderson (14 bags, 27.5 TFL). The Crimson Tide has the most talent of any team on the field, and Saban has shown to the Bulldogs that the “disrespectful card” can still be used.
Alabama was there, doing it, and Saban is a good bet to lead them to their sixth CFP championship game in eight years.
THAN: Hit tracker for the 2021 post-season
Why Alabama Didn’t Win the National Title
The Bearcats can cause an unimaginable amount of discomfort, and Michigan can do the unthinkable in the 2020 Citrus Bowl rematch.
Better yet, the rematch against Georgia. The Bulldogs could make adjustments, and the Alabama had trouble running the ball (26 attempts, 115 yards) in the first encounter.
Wide receiver John Metchie III also suffered a knee injury in that win, and that could see the game go by. He has 1,142 yards (20th nationally) and eight touchdowns. Also, Alabama is the only team in the CFP that doesn’t have a top 10 scoring defense.
Those elements don’t come into play in the SEC’s title game, but they might in a rematch against the Bulldogs.
