Nick Saban: Alabama not worried about playoff committee ahead of SEC Championship

Even with a victory over No. 1 Georgia in the SEC Championship, Alabama still would not control its own destiny heading into the final College Football Playoff rankings.

Multiple other one-loss teams have a legitimate shot at cracking the final field of four when it’s revealed next week. With so much pressure surrounding Alabama’s performance on Saturday, Nick Saban revealed how he’s trying to shut out the noise ahead of this weekend’s conference title game.

“We’re not really worried about the committee. I’m not concerned about any of those things,” Saban revealed. “I mean, we’ve got a big challenge here in terms of trying to play the best football that we can play and prepare our team to play the best that they can play.

“I want our team to focus on the game because that’s what we can control. We really can’t control anything externally, but we can try to control how we play. I think that’s the most important thing for us to be focused on right now.”

And that’s all they can do. Playing the team in front of you and letting the chip fall where they may sounds a lot easier when you don’t factor in who they’re playing. The last time Georgia lost a game was to Alabama in the 2021 SEC Championship game — so how is it possible to committee could leave out a one-loss, SEC Championship-winning, Georgia-defeating Alabama team? At the same time, does a one-loss, non-SEC Champion Georgia team get bumped outside of the final rankings in that same scenario?

That answer lies within those within the CFP voting committee, but if the Crimson Tide come out on top, Saban is confident the votes will swing in the Tide’s favor.

“I think that the SEC is one of the best conferences in the country,” Saban continued. “I think Georgia is one of the best teams in the country. I think they’re one of the best four teams in the country. I think if we beat them, we’d be one of the best four teams in the country.

“With teams, there’s a transformation that goes through the season. How are you playing now. Where is your team now. How good are you now. I think all those things come into play. I think it would be a disrespect to the SEC if there isn’t an SEC representation in the final four. I do believe that.”

Kickoff between Alabama and Georgia is scheduled for 4 p.m. ET live on CBS.