The eye-popping look to Tuesday night's penultimate College Football Playoff rankings had nothing to do with the teams at the top.
Ohio State (12-0), LSU (12-0), Clemson (12-0) and Georgia (11-1) remained first through fourth after each closed its regular season last Saturday with a victory by at least four touchdowns. It was the No. 5 team last week that took a precipitous tumble.
Alabama (10-2), which was eliminated from playoff consideration Saturday with its 48-45 loss at Auburn (9-3), fell to 12th in the latest rankings and is fifth among Southeastern Conference teams behind LSU, Georgia, No. 9 Florida (10-2) and No. 11 Auburn. Considering Florida, Auburn and Alabama don't play this weekend, thus preventing the Crimson Tide from moving back in front of the Gators and the state-rival Tigers, Alabama is all but out of the picture for the Sugar, Orange and Cotton bowls.
The Tide were last shut out of a New Year's Six bowl in 2010, when they finished a 9-3 regular season before trampling Michigan State in the Citrus Bowl. The Citrus Bowl in Orlando or even the Outback Bowl in Tampa appear to be Alabama's most likely postseason destinations as a result of Tuesday night's rankings.
Alabama's No. 12 standing is by far its worst in the six-year history of the CFP rankings. The Tide were No. 6 in the inaugural CFP rankings during October 2014 behind Mississippi State, Florida State, Auburn, Ole Miss and Oregon, and that had served as their all-time low.
Utah (11-1) was fifth in Tuesday night's rankings, with Oklahoma (11-1), Baylor (11-1), Wisconsin (10-2), Florida and Penn State (10-2) rounding out the Top 10.
The final CFP rankings that will determine the national semifinals in the Peach and Fiesta bowls will be announced Sunday afternoon.
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.