Kalen DeBoer claimed he didn’t know where Alabama football was ranked in the initial College Football Playoff top 25 until informed on the SEC coaches teleconference Wednesday morning. Believe him or not, but UA was sitting at No. 11 when the rankings were revealed Tuesday evening.

Regardless, DeBoer said the spot in the CFP rankings didn’t impact what Alabama was doing moving forward.

“We just gotta keep winning and that’s what it’s about,” DeBoer said. “I didn’t realize even where we were ranked until just now, I knew it’d probably be up there somewhere. But each week is what it’s about for us, and if we do what we need to do, then it will work itself out.”

Alabama is the highest-ranked two-loss team in the standings for the new 12-team CFP. The Crimson Tide can scarcely afford another defeat though, and Saturday’s trip to LSU is virtually an elimination game for both UA and the No. 15 Tigers.

The Tide lost to Vanderbilt and Tennessee earlier in the season, the team’s first time losing two games before November since the 2007 campaign.

“That’s the approach we had after Tennessee as well,” DeBoer said. “Just focus on what we call next play mindset. Next game mindset, and that’s the only thing that matters.

Alabama was projected into a first-round playoff game at No. 5 Texas in the first round. The Longhorns are listed as the No. 6 seed due to a rule that the top four must be conference champions, which drops No. 2 Ohio State to the fifth seed.

The Crimson Tide and LSU are scheduled to kick off at 6:30 p.m. CT Saturday in Baton Rouge. The game will be aired on ABC.