ESPN CFP analyst reveals why Alabama’s loss to Vanderbilt may have actually helped the Tide – Touchdown Alabama

William McLelland – USA Today Sports

Alabama fans were very upset the moment the Crimson Tide suffered a 35-40 loss to Vanderbilt.

Some moved on from the moment, while others are still coming out of it.

It wasn’t a nice situation, but did the loss to the Commodores really help Alabama?

ESPN College Football Playoff analyst Heather Dinich thinks so. She claims that the CFP Committee, at some point, won’t consider the Tide’s loss to Vandy as bad as it seemed at the time. This is a different Vanderbilt team than our parents and grandparents saw.

At some point, the committee might not consider it @AlabamaFTBL the loss to Vandy as bad as it looked at the time. This is a different team @Coach_Lea that he could do something @OleMissFB couldn’t – beat Kentucky. Vandy is No. 35 in FPI, ahead of Cal, Pitt, Nebraska, Utah

— Heather Dinich (@CFBHeather) October 16, 2024

Clark Lea has turned the show around in an incredible way. The Commodores are 4-2 with impressive wins over Virginia Tech, Alabama and Kentucky. Vandy is ranked 35th in ESPN’s Football Power Index (FPI), which is ahead of California, Pittsburgh, Nebraska and Utah.

The Commodores have one conference loss to Missouri, which also has one conference loss to Texas A&M. As bad as it was at the time, the CFP Committee will view Alabama’s blemish as a quality loss, not a negative.

The Tide still has to handle business, but at least losing Vandy isn’t a detriment.

*Get the BEST Alabama football insider information, message board access and recruiting coverage today! SIGN UP HERE to unlock our subscriber-only content!*

Stephen M. Smith is the lead writer of Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can like it. Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @CoachingMSmith.

Stephen Smith graduated in 2015 from the University of Alabama. He is a senior writer and reporter for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. He has covered Alabama football for 15 years and his knowledge and coverage of the Crimson Tide program has made him one of the most respected reporters in his field. Smith has appeared on ESPN and several other outlets as an analyst.