That was made clear on Saturday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium during the SEC Championship game, where the No. 8 Crimson Tide defeated No. 1 Georgia, 27-24. It was Alabama’s third conference title game victory overall and their fourth straight victory over the Bulldogs in the state capital. Nick Saban, Kirby Smart’s mentor, has led the Crimson Tide (12-1) to an 18-1 record in Atlanta. Saban is 72 years old.
This is where things get really messy. The College Football Playoff selection committee will have to make a decision regarding both teams overnight on Saturday. Although Georgia (12-1) came into Saturday as the overwhelming No. 1 team and the two-time defending national champion with 29 straight victories, they may miss out on the top four for the first time in three seasons.
Alabama presents the committee with a more significant choice in the interim. The Tide not only began the day one spot behind Texas, but four spots out of the four teams that would make up the semifinals. It so happens that in the season’s third meeting in Tuscaloosa, the Longhorns defeated Bama head-to-head. Additionally, they defeated Oklahoma State 49-21 in a convincing manner to win the Big 12 Championship.
This game felt a lot like the SEC Championship game Alabama won over the Bulldogs 41–24 in 2021. In that one as well, Georgia took first place, with the Crimson Tide coming in third. Both teams advanced to the CFP semifinals and faced off again in the national championship game in Indianapolis one month later. With a 33–18 victory, Georgia won the championship for the first time in 41 years.
There might not be an SEC team in the semifinals this time around. That could be interpreted as ironic or appropriate for the final year of a 12-game playoff. Since its implementation in 2014, the SEC has never been excluded from the final four. Extending the playoffs has been vocally supported by Commissioner Greg Sankey, and it was originally intended to happen this season.
