Desmond Howard details how Georgia could reach the College Football Playoff over Alabama despite loss
Of all the conference championships that will be played this weekend, what happens between No. 1 Georgia and No. 8 Alabama in the SEC Championship will likely be most impactful. However, when it comes to who may or may not make the College Football Playoff depending on the outcome, Desmond Howard thinks anything and everything is on the table.
During an appearance on ‘Get Up’ on Friday, Howard look at a less-talked about scenario for what could take place after the title game inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium. To him, there’s at least a world where the Crimson Tide win and don’t get in. The other part of his take is that the Bulldogs could lose and still make the four-team field over them.
“Well, if Alabama beats Georgia? I don’t know if Georgia can fall that far out of the College Football Playoff. But I don’t know if Alabama can climb that high,” said Howard. “I think, when you look at the rankings, for them to put Alabama where they’re at means it’s going to be a steep climb for them to get that high, even if they beat the No. 1 team in the country.”
“Georgia? Because they’re in the number one position, I don’t see them falling all the way down to number five. I still think Georgia has an outside chance of getting in,” Howard explained. “It also depends on what else happens with the other teams ahead of Alabama too.”
To be fair, the reasoning is some level of sound considering where the two teams find themselves. With Georgia at No. 1, it may take a lot for the committee to knock them out completely.
Meanwhile, at No. 8, Alabama has four spots to go and several teams to leap over. Ohio State would essentially be a gimme since they won’t be playing this weekend. However, there may be only so much they can do with the winner of the Pac-12 Championship likely to get in. That’s without even discussing the possibilities with a Florida State win, a victory for a Texas team that beat ‘Bama earlier this year, and Georgia that, although fresh off their first loss in two years, would still make a case.
One way or another, the Southeastern Conference will very likely find its way into the playoff. That becomes more complicated if Alabama finds a way to do what no team has done since they did it two seasons ago.
Still, while everyone thinks a Crimson Tide win would put them in the field, Howard went with the unthinkable. He still believes there’s a chance that that could lead Georgia to make the playoff while Alabama would remain out.
“If you look at the strength of record and the strength of schedule? That’s the themes that the College Football Playoff selection committee like to look at when they start splitting hairs. They may be able to vote Georgia in,” said Howard.
“I’m not saying that they should. I’m just saying when you look at when teams drop when they lose a game? Very few teams drop that far out of the rankings, especially from number one to number five,” Howard said. “I’m not saying that it’s right and that’s what they should do. But I would not be shocked or surprised if it happened.”