Alabama playoff scenarios, explained: How win, loss in SEC title game would impact CFP rankings
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Alabama playoff scenarios, explained: How win, loss in SEC title game would impact CFP rankings originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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No. 9 Alabama meets No. 3 Georgia in the SEC championship game on Saturday.
The Bulldogs beat the Crimson Tide 28-7 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Saturday. Get ready to argue about whether a three-loss SEC team belongs in the 12-team College Football Playoff with No. 10 Notre Dame (10-2) and No. 12 Miami (10-2) looking to get into the CFP field ahead of Alabama (10-3).
Second-year coach Kalen DeBoer is an interesting spot here. Alabama made seven CFP appearances under Nick Saban and never had a three-year drought.
Get ready to argue. Alabama's playoff seeding could vary widely based on the result of this matchup. A look at the Crimson Tide's College Football Playoff outlook heading into selection weekend.
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Is Alabama in the College Football Playoff?
Not yet. Alabama did make the SEC championship game with a 7-1 record in conference play, but a 31-17 loss at Florida State in Week 1 could haunt the Crimson Tide.
Alabama did compile a 4-1 record against ranked opponents, and victories against No. 3 Georgia and No. 14 Vanderbilt should help their cause in case of emergency Saturday. The Crimson Tide can clinch an automatic bid with a victory against the Bulldogs on Saturday.
MORE: Alabama is the elephant in the CFP committee room
Alabama playoff scenarios
Here is a look at how Alabama's College Football Playoff seeding could be impacted by the SEC championship game Saturday:
Georgia beats Alabama in SEC championship game
This is where it gets interesting for the Crimson Tide. The committee did Alabama a favor by placing the Crimson Tide one spot ahead of Notre Dame and three spots ahead of Miami. The score of the game might influence the committee here. Is a 21-point loss to Georgia in a conference championship game enough to knock Alabama out?
Would the committee consider dropping the Crimson Tide behind Notre Dame and Miami? SEC commissioner Greg Sankey likely would have a strong rebuttal, but this could be the move that finally brings the value of conference championship games into question. If the SEC wants to get rid of them, then everybody else will.
What might complicate that decision? Duke beat Virginia 27-20 in the ACC championship game. That might lead the committee to put Miami in the field so the ACC has a team. It also prevents a three-loss team from making the College Football Playoff.
MORE: Breaking down the white-hot Miami-Notre Dame debate
College Football Playoff bracket 2025
Sporting News did not put Alabama in the College Football Playoff in its final projections. We have Notre Dame and Miami in the field.
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