Alabama basketball in strong position, but one mistake can upend the season

If that ranking holds, the Tide would only face lower-seeded teams until the Sweet 16 at the earliest, but Oats doesn't expect the team to remain static. According to a report by Dean Harrell of Tide Illustrated, he implied that Alabama could climb even further.

"Then from [these March Madness rankings], you’ve got to improve your seeding," he said. "Like who can improve it from then on till four weeks later? So we’ve just got to be playing our best basketball come March."

But here's the other side of that coin: If Alabama falls short of their "best basketball," a team many consider to have a chance at a national title likely won't make it very far in March Madness.

A loss to a strong team like Tennessee could drop Alabama a seed or two, which could make a difference in the quality of teams faced in the tournament. However, a loss to an inferior opponent or early exit from the SEC Tournament could be enough to knock this squad off of a winning track in March Madness.

This isn't to say every game is do or die for the Tide. This isn't reality TV, and one mistake won't send you home, but it could be the difference between being a mid-seeded team that might make the Sweet 16 and a highly-seeded squad that looks like a favorite for the Final Four.

Both of those outcomes are still very possible. It's up to the players and coaches to ensure this year isn't yet another season of leaving the team and fans wondering what could have been.