The Times They Are A-Changin': The Changing Value of Wins and Losses
How Alabama's 2026 résumé demonstrates why the value of a game doesn't end with the final whistle.
As Bob Dylan famously sang, "The Times They Are A-Changin'." The same can be said for college football résumés.
The scoreboard may be final, but the value of a win or loss isn't.
That's because RCFR evaluates each team's résumé using the current week's AP and Coaches Consensus Top 25, rather than the rankings of opponents when games were played.
Alabama's 2026 season is a perfect example.
Alabama's RCFR Ranking Journey
Alabama climbed from #17 in Week 5 to #3 in Week 7 before returning to #8 in Weeks 8 and 9.
The Moving Target: Four Opponents, Three Lessons
| Opponent / Result | W7 | W9 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kentucky W2 · W 45–17 | #15 | #9 | ▲ 6 spots |
| Mississippi State W5 · W 56–23 | #18 | — | ▼ Out |
| Georgia W6 · L 17–20 | #1 | #3 | ▼ 2 spots |
| Tennessee W7 · L 10–26 | #14 | #16 | ▼ 2 spots |
— = Unranked. Movements reflect Consensus Rankings, not RCFR rankings.
What Changed for Alabama?
1. Best Win Gets Better
Kentucky: Alabama's Week 2 victory is now a win over the #9 Consensus team, up from #15 in Week 7. Its best win keeps improving.
2. A Quality Win Disappears
Mississippi State: After falling out of the Top 25, Alabama's Week 5 victory no longer qualifies as a ranked win. Its quality-win total drops from two to one.
3. Losses Reflect Competition
Georgia & Tennessee: Alabama's Week 6 and Week 7 losses still count as Top 25 Games, recognizing difficult competition without rewarding losses as wins.
Alabama's Résumé: Still a Work in Progress
Alabama sits at #8 in the Week 9 RCFR Rankings, but its résumé is far from finished. As explored in our Week 8 Insights: The Second Half — Who Has the Most to Prove? , the second half of the season offers opportunities to strengthen a team's résumé through both quality wins and quality competition.
For Alabama, that could happen in two very different ways.
1. An Old Win Could Become Valuable Again
Mississippi State is currently unranked, but its season isn't over. With upcoming games against Texas, Vanderbilt, Auburn, and Ole Miss, the Bulldogs have opportunities to climb back into the Consensus Top 25.
If they do, Alabama's Week 5 victory would once again count as both a Top 25 Win and a Top 25 Game — without Alabama playing another down against Mississippi State.
2. A New Quality Game Awaits
LSU is currently a ranked opponent, giving Alabama an opportunity to improve its résumé in Baton Rouge.
Win: Alabama adds another Top 25 Win and Top 25 Game.
Lose: Alabama still adds a Top 25 Game, reflecting the strength of its competition, but no quality win.
Both outcomes depend on LSU remaining in the current Consensus Top 25 when the résumé is evaluated.
The intriguing part? Alabama could gain additional Top 25 Wins and Top 25 Games through future results — and even regain credit for a past victory if Mississippi State returns to the rankings.
That's the moving target in action: quality wins and quality games can change as teams compete, and as past opponents build their own résumés.
Coach Q's Take
"The scoreboard doesn't change, but the story behind it does. A win over Kentucky keeps getting better, a win over Mississippi State loses some shine, and losses to Georgia and Tennessee still tell us something about Alabama's schedule.
That's why we don't judge a résumé based on what we thought in September. We judge it based on what we know today. Every week brings new information, and every team's résumé needs to reflect it."
Explore the 2026 RCFR Rankings to see how each team's résumé evolves throughout the season.
Coming Next: RCFR vs. the College Football Playoff rankings.