Heather Dinich makes the case for Alabama to get in College Football Playoff with SEC title win

ESPN’s Heather Dinich believes a College Football Playoff appearance is still within the grasp of Alabama. The Crimson Tide were ranked No. 8 in the penultimate CFP rankings on Tuesday, meaning they need to jump four spots to make it in the field.

That’s quite the ask, but they also still have an opportunity to gain a conference title, something the committee has shown it values in the past. Alabama plays Georgia on Saturday afternoon for the SEC Championship.

Dinich tweeted Tuesday following the rankings reveal with a couple of examples of times teams made big jumps into the top four after winning their conference title.

“A reminder what winning your conference can do for you: In 2017, UGA jumped from No. 6 to No. 3 after winning SEC,” she wrote. “In 2019, OU jumped from No. 6 to No. 4 after winning Big 12. So yes, Bama can move up w/ a win against UGA.”

Georgia knocked out Auburn in the 2017 SEC Championship Game as the Tigers fell out of the top four. Wisconsin, which was No. 4 the previous week, lost in the Big Ten title game to fall out as well. Oklahoma also needed some help to move up in 2019 as No. 4 Georgia and No. 5 Utah both lost in their respective conference championships.

That being the case, Alabama doesn’t just need to win, but also needs the right results from the teams currently in front of it.

Firstly, there is the question of whether a loss would drop Georgia out of the top four. The Bulldogs are currently ranked No. 1 and have won each of the past two national championships, so it remains a possibility they get in even with a loss. Still, it doesn’t seem likely Georgia would get in over an Alabama team that beat it.

Texas is ranked No. 7 and holds a head-to-head win against the Crimson Tide from Week 2. The Longhorns play No. 18 Oklahoma State in the Big 12 Championship on Saturday. Safe to say that Crimson Tide fans will be cheering for the Cowboys in that one.

Ohio State is No. 6, though the Buckeyes don’t play for a conference title. It’s not hard to imagine Alabama potentially jumping them, as Ohio State can’t do anything to improve its chances.

That leaves the possibility that No. 4 Florida State loses in the ACC Championship Game as well as the Pac-12 Championship between No. 3 Washington and No. 5 Oregon. The Seminoles, which already have question after losing Jordan Travis to injury, would almost certainly be out with a loss.

It seems likely that the winner between the Huskies and Ducks makes it in the Playoff. So if Alabama wins the SEC Championship, it would need at least one team in front of it to lose to get in. The most likely scenario is Florida State, though Texas would also be a candidate.

If both Texas and Florida State and lose, Alabama would get in along with Georgia, Michigan and the Pac-12 champion. If only one does, though, that’s where chaos ensues the committee must decide between leaving out Georgia or bumping out another conference champ.

It’s all speculation at this point, and we’ll have to wait to see whether Alabama can pull off the win against Georgia to have a chance at making the College Football Playoff. Kickoff for the SEC Championship is set for 4 p.m. ET on Saturday in Atlanta.