Jordan Rodgers states Alabama will not miss College Football Playoff even with SEC title loss: 'Can't see it happening'

For the fifth time, No. 4 Georgia and No. 10 Alabama will collide in the SEC Championship Game on Saturday. The Crimson Tide have won all four of the prior meetings against the Bulldogs in Atlanta.

This year’s matchup, however, will mark the first in the event between Kirby Smart and Kalen DeBoer. Since DeBoer took over at Alabama following Nick Saban‘s retirement in 2024, he is 2-0 against Georgia with a 41-34 win last season and a 24-21 win earlier this year on Sept. 27.

Ahead of Saturday’s matchup, ESPN‘s Jordan Rodgers claimed that a three-loss Alabama team would not miss the College Football Playoff with an SEC Championship loss. This would ensure that four of the 12 CFP teams would hail from the SEC (Georgia, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, and Alabama).

“I do not,” Rodgers replied when asked if a loss would keep Alabama out of the CFP. “I would say the same thing about the Big Ten (Indiana vs. Ohio State), so I’m not a homer. The loser, or the runner-up for the SEC and Big Ten, because they’re the two best conferences in the country, should not be left out of a 12-team Playoff. Absolutely, full-stop, can’t see it happening.

“Even if it’s a three-touchdown loss for Alabama, they’ve already beaten Georgia. They’d be 1-1 against them, so I don’t see any scenario where it would be fair to leave them out or leave out the Big Ten runner-up if the situation was the same in a 12-team College Football Playoff. Can’t happen.”

Alabama boasts four ranked victories in 10 games this season

Although it suffered a shocking loss to Florida State in its season opener, Alabama boasts one of the best resumes in all of college football. If it were to lose to Georgia on Saturday, two of its three losses this season would be to College Football Playoff teams (Oklahoma and Georgia). It also compiled 10 wins, with four coming against then-ranked opponents (No. 5 Georgia, No. 16 Vanderbilt, No. 14 Missouri, and No. 11 Tennessee).

In this season’s matchup between the SEC’s two premier programs, Alabama took a 14-0 lead thanks to two early touchdown passes from quarterback Ty Simpson. Georgia then spent the remainder of the game attempting to play catch-up, which it was unable to do. Following the disappointing loss, the Bulldogs did not suffer another loss the remainder of the season. This includes victories over No. 5 Ole Miss and No. 10 Texas to punch their eighth SEC Championship appearance of the Kirby Smart era (3-4).

Alabama did suffer another loss following the Georgia win, which came on Nov. 15 to No. 11 Oklahoma. Still, the Crimson Tide should not be in danger with a loss on Saturday.