Alabama’s Playoff Case Takes a Hit After Georgia Blowout
So, the conversation around Alabama right now is getting pretty intense, and honestly, it’s understandable. After that lopsided 28-7 loss to Georgia in the SEC Championship Game, a lot of people are wondering whether the Crimson Tide truly deserve a spot in the new 12-team College Football Playoff. And even though Alabama will almost certainly be included when the bracket is revealed, the path there suddenly feels a lot shakier than anyone expected just a week ago.
What really shifted the tone was how overwhelmed Alabama looked against Georgia. The Bulldogs didn’t just beat them — they controlled the game from the start. Alabama actually finished with negative rushing yards , and they didn’t even reach 100 total yards until late in the third quarter. For a program used to being the bully on the field, that kind of offensive output raises eyebrows. And here’s the kicker: despite beating Georgia earlier in the season, Alabama has managed just seven total points across the last six quarters played against the Bulldogs. That’s not exactly playoff-strong momentum.
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Now, the committee bumped Alabama up to No. 9 before the championship games, jumping them ahead of Notre Dame, which had finished the regular season with a much more convincing win. That ranking made it seem like Alabama’s playoff ticket was already punched. But the Tide are now staring at a unique kind of history — potentially becoming the first three-loss at-large team to make the playoff, and the first with two double-digit losses in the same season.
And that’s where the controversy heats up.
Several two-loss teams, like BYU and Miami, have stronger trajectories. BYU went 11-1 in the regular season before losing in the Big 12 title game. Miami closed the year strong. Notre Dame looked steady. Meanwhile, Alabama has been trending the opposite direction. Since Nov. 1, they’re 2-2 against FBS opponents and averaging just 17 points per game. Even their wins haven’t really impressed — an 11-point win over a lost LSU team and a nail-biter against an Auburn squad that finished with one SEC victory.
And then there’s the early-season loss to Florida State — still one of the worst losses carried by any playoff bubble team. The only reason it hasn’t sunk them completely is because it happened in Week 1. If that game had been played in November, the conversation would be a lot different.
The core issue is Alabama’s offense. Without Jam Miller, the run game becomes almost nonexistent. With him, it’s still shaky. Ty Simpson, who once looked like a Heisman-level quarterback, has struggled badly over the last month, failing to complete even half his passes in the SEC title game.
So yes, Alabama is likely heading to the playoff — but this time, the Tide aren’t being treated like the unstoppable force they usually are. Their spot feels earned on reputation and early committee decisions more than what’s happened on the field lately, and that’s why the legitimacy questions aren’t going away anytime soon.
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