3 scenarios where Alabama misses the College Football Playoff highlighted by a choice that would turn Kalen DeBoer into a villain
Following Tuesday night’s CFP rankings, the Alabama Crimson Tide are in a good spot to make the playoff, but here are the ways the team could be left out.
The College Football Playoff committee finally made the right move on Tuesday, catapulting the Alabama Crimson Tide above the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. The team heads into the SEC Championship against the Georgia Bulldogs in the ninth spot after being in 10th place since the loss against the Oklahoma Sooners.
That signaled to many, especially with Alabama playing in a conference title game, that the team punched its ticket to the playoff on Tuesday night. But there is a world, albeit unlikely, where Alabama is left out yet again. I, along with A to Z Sports Alabama contributor Josh Taylor, break down three unlikely, though possible scenarios where that happens, including one that would be a shocker.
Scenario No. 1: Alabama loses by two scores or more against Georgia
To me, this feels like the least likely of the three. For one, Alabama already beat the Bulldogs in Georgia this season, and that was between the hedges, not in Atlanta. Even if the team were to fall this time, I expect it to be a close game throughout.
But should the Tide fall for the third time this season and look uncompetitive against Georgia, the committee may have to think long and hard about keeping Alabama over others. So it’s simple, just win.
Scenario No. 2: Alabama suffers major injury
I’m not even going to type his name and put it out in the ether, but if you recall Nick Saban’s last season at Alabama, the Crimson Tide made the CFP over Florida State because the committee didn’t want to see a backup quarterback.
Keeping the signal caller upright and shoring up the protection against a hungry bunch of Bulldogs is not only a key to winning for Alabama, but it’s the team’s ticket to the postseason.
Scenario No. 3: Kalen DeBoer leaves for Penn State
Maybe by the time you are reading this, Penn State will have finally found its new head coach. But as of publish, the names keep getting weirder and weirder, and the Kalen DeBoer noise only grows louder.
I don’t think for one second that DeBoer leaves before the SEC championship game. But on the off chance that the Crimson Tide gets blown out and with the playoff potentially in question, would he bolt up north if Penn State still didn’t hire a guy? It’s at least worth pondering.
“The College Football Playoff selection committee already said they would dock a team points if they lost its head coach, and we will see if they stand by that with Ole Miss. If DeBoer were to shock everyone and take another job like Penn State, then sure, Alabama wouldn’t make the playoffs. I don’t see that being the case, though. Penn State for sure wants DeBoer, and who doesn’t, but it’s never felt like a mutual interest, and Penn State had to turn its attention elsewhere.
“Alabama should still make the College Football Playoff if they lose to Georgia because it still represented the SEC in a conference championship, which Oklahoma, Ole Miss, and Texas A&M didn’t. Docking them in a conference championship loss means that Alabama should’ve just not played in the game, and put its hope in its record with only two losses instead, which is ridiculous.
“There should be a lot of weight into making the SEC Championship alone, and enough to get Alabama in unless something drastic happens that changes the team like losing Deboer, or a significant injury, like they did to Florida State in the past.” – Taylor
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