The Alabama Crimson Tide looked lost not long ago. Head coach Kalen DeBoer had to reemphasize things like punctuality and discipline as his program dropped two out of three games, and it seemed as though his job might've been in jeopardy. Replacing Nick Saban was going to be impossible, but DeBoer looked overwhelmed in his first season.

However, the SEC has cannibalized itself, and Alabama has recovered from its staggered state. Now, the Tide have a real chance at going to the College Football Playoff after the SEC Championship Game.

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Believe it or not, the new SEC tiebreakers make some interesting scenarios possible. 

Here’s the situation: if Alabama takes down both Oklahoma and Auburn, and Missouri wins at least one of their games, we could see the Crimson Tide strutting into Atlanta with a 6-2 conference record. That could put them ahead of Georgia, Ole Miss, Tennessee, and Texas/Texas A&M (whoever comes out on top in that matchup) based on the winning percentage of their conference opponents.

If Alabama gets to the SEC Championship Game, which seems likely, they could snag a first-round bye. That way, they wouldn't have to deal with a true road game in the first playoff round. 

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The tricky part is that landing a home playoff game at Bryant-Denny Stadium might be tough if they make it to the SEC title game—if they lose, they’ll end up with three losses, making a road playoff game pretty likely. Is a home playoff game impossible with three losses? 

Not exactly, but it’s looking more unlikely right now.

While Alabama’s in a pretty good spot, losing to either Oklahoma or Auburn would throw a big wrench in their playoff plans. Plus, if Missouri pulls off wins in their next two games, it makes Alabama's path to the SEC Championship a lot tougher. Even a strong season could take a turn if they can’t get those crucial wins.

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So it’s probably best to think that Alabama will either play a first-round CFP game on the road or win the conference to get that much-coveted first-round bye, which would put them straight into the quarterfinals.

Let’s not forget that winning the SEC would be a fantastic achievement for the program, marking its 31st conference championship—especially in a 16-team league that many people consider the best in the country.

At the end of the day, Alabama's coaches and players would likely be eager to take on the challenge of winning the SEC and getting that bye. Sure, there’s a chance they could lose, but there’s also so much to gain. Plus, Texas and Texas A&M, the likely opponents, have shown they can be vulnerable, too.