Alabama is heading to the SEC championship game against Georgia, and the Crimson Tide currently have the Bulldogs’ number, beating them twice already under head coach Kalen DeBoer over the last two years. Alabama is heading to the title game as the underdog though, especially as Georgia has all the momentum and the home field advantage. However, should the Crimson Tide lose, it might trigger some chaos in the CFP.
Currently, Alabama is ranked No. 9 in the AFP poll, which means that it should be able to qualify to the CFP. However, should it lose to Georgia, it may throw college football into chaos, as it may get a three-loss team into the playoffs over the likes of No. 10 Notre Dame (10-2), No. 11 BYU (11-1) and No. 12 Miami (10-2).
Should Alabama win, they get a CFP bye, but losing could bring plenty of scenarios, and this is still all speculation at this point, as the game has not even been played yet as of writing.
Should the Crimson Tide lose in a close game, around seven points or less, then Alabama could still be placed ahead of Notre Dame and Miami and still be able to make the playoffs. However, should they lose by 10 points or more, it could mean that the Crimson Tide might be out of contention.
Still, even if Alabama loses by seven points or less, that is no guarantee that they would make the CFP, as the committee might still have BYU, Miami or Notre Dame enter it instead of the Crimson Tide. One scenario that might help them is if BYU loses to Texas Tech and this should strengthen their argument should they also lose, though again, this is also speculative as the committee might choose otherwise.
Kirby Smart’s Georgia Has Struggled Against Alabama
As for Alabama’s matchup against Georgia, while the Crimson Tide are considered the underdogs, the numbers are saying that this might be a favorable matchup for them. Particularly, they have head coach Kirby Smart’s number, as the Bulldogs coach is currently 1-7 against the Crimson Tide.
Smart used to be the defensive coordinator for Alabama before leaving the school to become rival Georgia’s head coach. He has had much success, turning the Bulldogs into one of the best teams in the country, but he just struggles in beating Alabama.
Related:
College Sports Network has you covered with the latest news, analysis, insights, and trending stories in college football, men’s college basketball, women’s college basketball, and college baseball!
