CFP chairman Hunter Yurachek's explanation for Alabama-Tennessee gap falls short

CFP chairman Hunter Yurachek. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

CFP chairman Hunter Yurachek's explanation for Alabama-Tennessee gap falls short

By Clark Dalton | Last updated Nov 4, 2026 12:13 AM ET

The College Football Playoff Selection Committee clearly doesn't weigh on-field results as much as it claims.

The Tennessee Volunteers beat the Alabama Crimson Tide 26-10 at home in Week 7. When the CFP revealed its initial Top 25 rankings on Tuesday night, however, the Crimson Tide (6-2, 4-2 SEC) slotted in at No. 5, while the Volunteers (6-2, 3-2 SEC) were listed at No. 13. What gives?

CFP chairman Hunter Yurachek explains why Alabama ranked eight spots ahead of Tennessee

While explaining the rankings to ESPN's Rece Davis, Yurachek said Alabama had more quality wins than Tennessee.

"[Alabama] went on the road and beat the team we have ranked sixth this week in Kentucky," the former Arkansas Razorbacks athletics director said. "They also beat South Carolina, and then I think many forget that they went on the road and beat Mississippi State when Mississippi State was undefeated and at full strength. ... Mississippi State, again, they had that quarterback [Kamario Taylor] that was very, very good and Mississippi State was on a roll at that time, so with those we see those as three quality wins."

CFP committee chair Hunter Yurachek explains why No. 5 Alabama is so much higher than No. 13 Tennessee in the initial rankings. pic.twitter.com/L3NGujpWUj https://t.co/kN51YFmFop
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) November 4, 2026

So, Alabama is a quality team with multiple wins over solid opponents. What does that make Tennessee, which outgained the Crimson Tide 347-201 in its Week 7 win?

Tennessee may not have as many quality wins as Alabama, but it's a play or two away from being undefeated. The Volunteers' losses came against the No. 7-ranked Texas Longhorns (20-17) and the No. 21 South Carolina Gamecocks (27-24). Both games came down to the wire.

The Longhorns almost blew it after failing to recover an onside kick late in the fourth quarter. South Carolina, meanwhile, needed a field goal before time expired to pull off its home win.

With that in mind, there shouldn't be a gap between those two SEC squads. The head-to-head result already proved that, but the committee appears to be ignoring it.

Clark Dalton

Clark Dalton is a 2022 journalism graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. He gained experience in sports media over the past seven years — from live broadcasting and creating short films to podcasting and producing. In college, he wrote for The Daily Texan. He loves sports and enjoys hiking, kayaking and camping.

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