ESPN analyst Rod Gilmore gives final prediction on College Football Playoff

The College Football Playoff committee has a decision ahead of them. Four names are required by Sunday at noon ET and no matter what, somebody is going to be upset. General consensus at the moment is that Alabama and Florida State are fighting it out for the final spot, while Michigan, Texas, and Washington seem to be in.

Of course, some folks are going against the grain and one of them is ESPN analyst Rod Gilmore. He does not believe either Alabama or Texas will be getting into the CFP despite their conference championship wins on Saturday.

Instead, Gilmore has Georgia staying in the mix despite losing in Atlanta. The two-time national champions would be joined by Florida State, Michigan, and Washington. Gilmore does not believe the committee will do something they never have in the past.

“Can’t see the Committee moving 7th (Texas) & 8th (Bama) teams into top 4 & dropping previous #1 UGA outside top 4,” Gilmore said Saturday night via X. “Those would be massive & unprecedented changes.”

If one of Alabama or Texas does get in, Gilmore is correct about it being an unprecedented move. The highest a team has been ranked in the penultimate week before winding up in the top-four in No. 6, occurring twice. Never has somebody at No. 7 pulled the feat off.

Georgia head coach Kirby Smart certainly agrees with Gilmore. He campaigned for his team to be in the playoff following the Alabama loss, saying the Bulldogs are still one of the four best teams in the country. After all, they were No. 1 heading into the weekend.

“Well, Bill Hancock said, ‘It’s not the most deserving. It’s the best four teams,’” Smart told CBS’ Dennis Dodd. “If that ain’t [one of] the best four teams out there, I don’t believe any man or woman sitting on that committee doesn’t believe that that’s not one of the best teams that was No. 1 coming into it.”

This time next year, Georgia would 100% still be competing for a national championship. With the 12-team College Football Playoff coming, an SEC Championship loss is not going to hinder them — especially with a 12-1 record.

Some folks might not agree but Gilmore still believes in the four-team system, Georgia should still be in. They were No. 1 heading into the Alabama game and were viewed as one of the four best teams in the committee’s eyes throughout the entire process.

No matter what occurs on Sunday afternoon, chaos and opinions will be flying everywhere.