How Alabama is Approaching Final Two Games with SEC, CFP Implications Looming

The Crimson Tide has a high probability of playing in the SEC title game if it wins out.

The University of Alabama football team huddles during pregame against LSU at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, LA on Saturday, Nov 9, 2024. / Alabama Athletics

TUSCALOOSA, Ala.— Alabama is in the driver's seat for a spot in both the SEC title game and College Football Playoff with two games to go in the regular season at Oklahoma and home against Auburn. The Crimson Tide (8-2, 4-2 SEC) isn't in complete control of whether or not it will get to play for the SEC championship in Atlanta, but as long as Missouri wins one of its final two games against Mississippi State and Arkansas, Alabama holds the tiebreakers among the other two-loss teams to compete for a conference crown.

Debate has raged online among Alabama fans whether or not they want the team to play for the SEC title and potentially risk a third loss, but Crimson Tide offensive lineman and captain cleared up how the team feels on his Monday morning appearance on "The Next Round."

"First and foremost, we're super focused on Oklahoma this week," Booker said. "That's what we're worried about. But our program values our pyramid of success. There's no ifs, ands or buts about it that Alabama wants to be in the SEC championship, and when we get there, we want to win. That's what you're measured by. In our indoor facility, there is a bunch of numbers of each side of the wall. One of those numbers are national championships and the other numbers are SEC championships. So we definitely want to play in the SEC championship. There's no ifs, ands or buts about it."

Alabama has won nine of the last 15 SEC championship games, including the 2023 title. Overall, the Crimson Tide leads the conference with 15 appearances in the championship game and 11 wins.

The top of the SEC standings are a jumbled mess. Texas and Texas A&M both only have one loss in conference play, but will play on the final Saturday of the regular season. The winner will clinch a spot in the SEC title game, while the loser will join the two-loss ranks of Georgia, Tennessee, Ole Miss and Alabama.

If Alabama plays in and wins the SEC championship, the Crimson Tide will automatically get a top-four seed and first-round bye in the CFP. There's still a lot of chaos that can happen around the country, but as things stand right now, Alabama would likely have to travel for the first round of the CFP if it wins out, but does not get to play in the SEC title game. If Alabama loses in Atlanta, the Crimson Tide could be left out of the playoff with a third loss, but the CFP Committee has said it doesn't want to punish teams for losing in a conference championship game.

Alabama moved up to No. 7 in both the AP and Coaches polls on Sunday, but those polls don't matter anymore. The latest round of the CFP rankings will come out on Tuesday, which will really reveal how the CFP committee views the Crimson Tide.

None of it will be relevant if Alabama doesn't win at Oklahoma (5-5, 1-5 SEC) and against Auburn (4-6, 1-5 SEC) to end the regular season in the Iron Bowl.

"We don’t really talk about the outside," Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer said Monday. "We just focus on what we’re doing right now. Because we know that if we don’t take care of our business, the rest of it doesn’t matter. It seems simple. I hope it’s simple for our guys— even though I know the distraction and the noise is out there everywhere. We’ve really honed in and the guys have really understood the significance of really just focusing on where we’re at now. We talk about the next play is the most important play. The next game is the most important game. We haven’t thought anything beyond Oklahoma... We're really, I think, locked in on the right things right now."

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