“Saban ain’t there no more”: CFB fans reject Heather Dinich’s Alabama take

Heather Dinch offered her analysis on Alabama's College Football Playoff chances based on the team's performance so far. In her appearance on ESPN’s "SportsCenter" on Tuesday, the college football analyst said she believes the Crimson Tide remains a strong contender for a place in the playoffs.

Despite starting life under Kalen DeBoer on a brilliant note, Alabama has suffered two losses in recent weeks, placing the program's playoff hopes in jeopardy. However, Dinch believes the Crimson Tide will get a solid consideration from the selection committee in its first rankings.

“I would also throw two-loss Alabama back into the conversation,” Dinch said on Monday. “The Tide is one of the top teams in ESPN’s strength of record metric.

“And by the way, they now have a loss to a bowl-eligible Vanderbilt team, which certainly doesn’t look as bad as it did that day. [They also have] one of the best wins in the country against Georgia. Don’t count out the Tide. I would actually count them in.”

Heather Dinch's words have generated a lot of reactions from college football fans. Here's a look at some of them:

Other reactions online:

"Tide is always in!" a fan wrote.

"Heather knows because she choses them.. LOL..," another fan wrote.

"They're nothing like the Saban's Alabama, we all remember," another fan wrote.

Alabama’s chances come down to the LSU game

With three games left on Alabama's regular season schedule, there's a belief that the Crimson Tide's playoff hopes rest on the game against LSU. Kalen DeBoer’s team heads to Baton Rouge this weekend for a high-stakes clash against the Tigers, which is bound to define a lot.

Speaking on “Get Up!” on Tuesday, Paul Finebaum emphasized that the Crimson Tide's next game holds the highest stakes of the season. To the ESPN analyst, it's their only remaining significant challenge to securing a spot in the playoffs.

“They don’t really have a whole lot after that,” Finebaum said. “They go to Oklahoma, which has been a disappointment and they play Auburn, which has been a disaster. So, this is it for Kalen DeBoer. It was all about getting in the Playoff or bust.

“We had that conversation back in Dallas months ago and a win and I think they’re in. A loss and the season goes down as a disaster. I know that sounds harsh, but it’s all about getting in the Playoff for Alabama."

Without a doubt, the evaluation of DeBoer's first season in Tuscaloosa lies in his success or failure in securing a spot in the CFP. There's been a lot of talks about his tenure so far but the playoff will be a major decider for many people.

The Crimson Tide were dominant in the four-team playoffs under the leadership of Nick Saban, making more appearances than any other team. Not securing a place in an expanded format would mark a new low for the program as it navigates life after the Saban era.