The stumping started early. Five days before the first batch of College Football Playoff rankings were revealed, Alabama coach Nick Saban was already being asked about it.

Talking on The Pat McAfee show about the 2023 storyline that the SEC is having a down year, Saban noted the parity is “a lot closer than it has been.”

Will Saban have to make Alabama’s case again in 2023? It’s too early to tell, but as of the initial CFP rankings, released Tuesday night, the Tide is not one of the four best teams in the country.

As the debate starts and is sure to rage on until the final rankings come out on Dec. 3, let’s take a look at the good and bad of No. 8 Alabama’s resume.

The Good

The Tide’s ranked wins both came at home against current No. 10 Ole Miss and No. 17 Tennessee. With two comeback efforts after slow starts, the Alabama defense rose to the occasion against a good Volunteers offense and a great Ole Miss attack. I don’t know if Alabama has a statement win yet, but outscoring Ole Miss and Tennessee 45-3 across both second halves is a significant accomplishment.

Plus, Alabama’s loss ain’t that bad. The committee can deliberate about the timing of the 10-point defeat (Week 2) but it was a mostly competitive game before the fourth quarter. To Alabama’s credit, nearly every coach the Tide has played since that game has said Jalen Milroe has improved and looks more comfortable in the pocket than he did when he threw two game-breaking interceptions against the Longhorns, currently ranked No. 7.

The Bad

The rest of Alabama’s wins aren’t great. It escaped South Florida and beat Texas A&M and Arkansas in one-score games. The teams ahead of UA have marquee wins and guaranteed top-10 opportunities in the case of Ohio State and Michigan. Texas’ placement over the Tide also means Alabama needs Texas to presumably falter to jump them.

Then there’s the obvious. A two-loss team has never made the playoff, giving Alabama no room for error moving forward.

“I felt like last year, and I’ve said this publically before, we were probably one of the best four teams in the country and because we lost two plays on the last play of the game, we never got in the playoffs,” Saban said on McAfee. “I think they should put more emphasis on strength and schedule. … I think when we go to 12 teams you’ll definitely get all the best teams in but right now, it can be a little bit hit or miss. I don’t really care much about the rankings right now.”

The Verdict as of 10/31

Alabama is in control of its own destiny.

With opportunities for more quality wins against No. 14 LSU this weekend, at Kentucky and the big one, an SEC championship against No. 2 Georgia, there’s a chance to make Alabama’s case undeniable, especially if Texas ends up with a conference title.

So, while the Tide get compared to No. 4 Florida State, No. 5 Washington and others, following Saban’s advice of avoiding the rat poison is probably best for now.

Nick Alvarez is a reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @nick_a_alvarez or email him at [email protected].