Heather Dinich explains why Georgia is 'not a lock' for CFP, how Texas has trump card

The Georgia Bulldogs have run the table in the regular season, continuing a winning streak that has lasted since the 2021 season. Despite that, ESPN reporter Heather Dinich says that the Bulldogs aren’t a lock to make the College Football Playoff.

As Dinich explained on SportsCenter, if the Bulldogs lose in the SEC Championship Game, then they may have an issue as it relates to the Texas Longhorns.

“Not a lock,” Heather Dinich said. “Absolutely not because, like I said, conference championships matter. If you don’t win your conference you face a much higher bar in that selection committee meeting room to prove you are unequivocally one of the four best teams in the country, and if Texas does win the Big 12, Texas would have something Georgia does not, a win against the SEC Champs. That is huge.”

In this scenario, Georgia would have a loss to Alabama in the SEC Championship Game. Their common opponent would be Texas, who Alabama lost to at home. After that, the Big Ten, SEC, and ACC all could have unbeaten conference champions.

All of that is to say that nothing is set in stone. Texas has a very good argument as a one-loss team ahead of Georgia in the case that the Bulldogs lose the SEC Championship Game. However, as Dinich pointed out, there are a lot of factors to consider.

“Now, head-to-head isn’t everything. That Week 2 win in Tuscaloosa will continue to resonate, but there’s also coaches in the room, and there are people who will have a conversation saying, ‘Hey, guys. Is Georgia better than Texas? If they played today, would that happen?’ And you also have to consider the fact that a one-loss Oregon is hanging around. Is a one-loss Pac-12 champion a lock?”

Both Georgia and Texas play in their respective conference championships next weekend. Both teams are also favored. However, anything can happen and there is a chance that the CFP committee needs to make a tough decision between these teams.

Paul Finebaum: Alabama ‘should be in’ College Football Playoff with win over Georgia

Georgia winning the SEC Championship Game isn’t a given. In the scenario that the Bulldogs do lose to Alabama, Paul Finebaum says that the Crimson Tide deserve to get in, even with the loss to Texas.

“I believe a win over Georgia, Alabama should be in because I believe they will be one of the four best teams in the country. And I know the analytics police will be out in mass this week talking about numbers. But if you’re a college football observer, you watch Alabama play and it’s not pretty at times but they’re really extremely good and exceptional,” Finebaum said.

“What they have done since that loss on September 9 (against) Texas is phenomenal. For Jalen Milroe to pull that play off, also beating Georgia, the No. 1 team in the country, the best team in the last three years should not matter. But I think it could be in the heads of that committee out in Dallas.”