TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – In its closing statement before the final College Football Playoff rankings, Alabama overcame four turnovers to win the Iron Bowl 28-14.

Jalen Milroe lost three fumbles and threw an interception, but he also threw for 256 yards and ran in three touchdowns to take down the Tigers. After the game, Head Coach Kalen DeBoer praised the junior quarterback’s bounce-back ability.

“We talk about resiliency for our team,” DeBoer said. “I think that’s a good word to use for him. It’s hard being the quarterback of any football team. It’s hard being the quarterback with a team that, you know, and a program that expects to win every game. The ball is in his hands a lot, right?”

Milroe has struggled late in Alabama’s season. In his last two games played, he’s committed eight turnovers – four fumbles and four interceptions. Despite this, his team has managed to win five of its last six games.

But perhaps most importantly, they won the Iron Bowl.

Between the win on Saturday and his 4th & 31 heroics last season, the junior has certainly left his mark on the Iron Bowl, something that he was sure to appreciate with the win.

“It’s one of the greatest rivalries in the country. I’m just so grateful to take a snap today and be a part of this historic game,” Milroe said.

Alabama’s resume

With the win, Alabama finishes the season undefeated at home. As of the last CFP rankings, they were on the outside looking in – ranked No. 13 behind Clemson. They still have a chance – albeit a small one – to sneak into the playoff, even after the late-season loss to Oklahoma.

When asked to pitch his team to the CFP committee, DeBoer stressed the team’s key wins.

“I think everyone’s aware of our schedule, and I don’t know the exact stats, but I know we beat four top-25 teams throughout the year. And I don’t know how many – if anyone – has done that.”

Alabama has wins – as of the last rankings – over No. 7 Georgia, No. 15 South Carolina and No. 21 Missouri. When they went on the road to play LSU, the Tigers were ranked No. 22, but have since fallen outside the T25.

He also touched on the difficulty of the SEC – something that has been a hot topic of debate online with recent losses.

“It’s just a grind, having to come back every week… the only conference that has to do that is ours.”

According to TeamRankings.com, Alabama’s strength of schedule is second only to Georgia. Nine of the ten teams with the toughest strength of schedule are in the SEC.

“It’s not for us to decide… We’ve just got to keep on improving and just worry about our controllables,” Milroe said.

Up Next

With their resume complete, No. 13 Alabama will wait to see if they can secure an at-large bid into the CFP. Saturday was once again chaotic, as No. 2 Ohio State fell at home to Michigan, No. 4 Miami fell to Syracuse, and No. 12 Clemson fell to No. 14 South Carolina.

The five highest ranked conference champions will automatically be in the playoffs, while the next seven highest ranked teams will receive an at-large bid.

If they were to sneak in, they’d likely have to play their opening round matchup on the road. The penultimate rankings will be revealed Dec. 3 at 6 p.m. CT, while Selection Sunday is set for Dec. 8 at 11 a.m. CT.