What's next for Alabama after the shutout win against Missouri in Week 9? Exploring playoff chances

Alabama returned to winning ways on Saturday when it hosted Missouri at Bryant-Denny Stadium following the disappointing loss to Tennessee in Knoxville last weekend. The Crimson Tide defeated the Tigers 34-0, marking their first shutout victory in the SEC since 2020.

Kalen DeBoer's team showcased defensive resilience on Saturday after an increase in criticism in recent weeks. The Crimson Tide's defense has been impressive since the second half of the Week 5 game against Georgia, going on to lose two games in the subsequent weeks.

The Week 9 victory over Missouri has helped establish a new momentum for Alabama as the season draws closer to an end. There's a renewed belief that the Crimson Tide can win out and secure a place in the College Football Playoff.

Alabama's playoff chances after Week 9

There was a reduced confidence in Alabama's playoff chances following the loss to Tennessee last weekend. However, the dominant win over Missouri on Saturday has revived the momentum, and the Crimson Tide are looking towards a return to the playoffs with the new expanded format.

The team is scheduled to play LSU next in Week 11 after being off in Week 10. Mercer, Oklahoma and Auburn are the other teams remaining on the schedule for the regular season. There's currently a belief that the Crimson Tide can win out, which comes with an expectation of a spot in the playoffs.

“Every win is important,” DeBoer said after the game on Saturday. "And I like the way the guys prepared all week long and got a chance to give them a chance to go out there and have success."

“Didn't get a lot of points right away, but kept playing pressure in different ways once we got the field position flipped, especially after the interception and the momentum swing.”

Fixing the flaws of recent weeks is crucial to playoff hopes

Alabama had some problems that were responsible for the awful performance in recent games. These have to be fixed systematically to keep the program’s playoff hopes alive. Kalen DeBoer noticed recurring mistakes that troubled the team against Missouri.

“We got to have some better awareness with some things just living in the gray area and stuff, and it's hurting us just from really taking a big, big step, and I feel like we're just right on the edge," DeBoer said. "And so we'll get a chance to hash through those, those areas, those gray areas that led to penalties or just missed execution.”

In the victory over Missouri, Alabama was penalized seven times for 85 yards. The seven penalties are tied for the fourth-highest number this season. This must be improved over the next few weeks to remain in contention for the playoffs.