We'll find out a lot more about where things stand in the race for the College Football Playoff when the official rankings come out next week. Leading up to the big reveal, our college football experts narrowed the field to the 10 teams with the best shot at the national title.
Here's a look at Alabama's title chances; to vote for who you think will win it all, go to our poll page or scroll to the bottom of this feature:
The case for Alabama
Alabama ranks No. 1 in FPI, strength of record and game control metrics.
An average Top 25 team would have had a 2 percent chance of getting Alabama's 8-0 record.
The Crimson Tide have won seven of their eight games by at least 19 points, outscoring their opponents 100-23 in the third quarter.
Alabama's defense has +21 EPA per game (expected points added), meaning the defense is adding about 21 points to the final score margin. That is the highest defensive EPA for any team this far into the season in the past decade.
-- ESPN Stats & Info
The case against Alabama
One way that opponents have had "moderate" success against Alabama is on deep balls this season. The Tide have allowed 11 receptions on throws that traveled at least 25 yards downfield, tied for the fifth-most in the Power 5. And Alabama just lost starting safety Eddie Jackson for the season.
-- ESPN Stats & Info
Talking points
Vegas odds: Alabama leads the pack with 8-5 odds to win the national title, according to Westgate SuperBook.
What FPI says: According to ESPN's Football Power Index, the Crimson Tide have a 41.1 percent chance of winning out through the regular season and conference title game, the sixth-highest percentage in the nation, and a 67.7 percent chance of winning the SEC. Their remaining schedule -- which includes a road game against No. 19 LSU and a home game versus No. 15 Auburn in the annual Iron Bowl -- ranks as the 28th-most difficult.
ESPN Senior Writer Mark Schlabach: I can't picture the Crimson Tide losing, at least not during the regular season. ... Alabama's defense and special teams mask its offense's mistakes. Whenever QB Jalen Hurts looks like a freshman who is only months removed from high school, the Crimson Tide do something on defense or special teams to make up for it.
Alabama had five sacks and 11 tackles for loss against Texas A&M. Opponents can't run between the tackles against college football's most formidable front, and there aren't many who can throw over the top of the Crimson Tide defense, either.
But Alabama might not roll over resurgent LSU and Auburn like we once thought it would. No. 25 LSU improved to 3-0 under interim coach Ed Orgeron with a 38-21 win over Ole Miss, and No. 21 Auburn crushed No. 17 Arkansas 56-3 for its fifth straight victory by running for 543 yards, a school record in SEC games.
ESPN analytics writer Sharon Katz: There are six teams -- Michigan, Louisville, Ohio State, Clemson, Washington and Auburn -- that FPI would currently give at least a 25 percent chance to beat Alabama in a potential national championship game. Michigan is the most likely to take down the defending champs (47 percent likely), followed by Louisville (42 percent) and Ohio State (34 percent).
Now that you're stuffed with numbers and analysis, are you convinced the Tide are going all the way? Cast your vote below.