3 reasons we can’t wait for an Alabama-Georgia SEC Championship Game
By Asher Fair
1. CFP Selection Committee can set a precedent
Heading into last season, none of the following had ever happened as far as teams being selected into the College Football Playoff went.
- No non-conference champion had ever gotten in
- No 2-loss team had ever gotten in
- No conference had ever gotten two teams in
When Penn State beat Wisconsin in last year’s Big Ten Championship Game, they had two losses. However, Ohio State had just one loss, which was to Penn State. Yet, they still made it into the College Football Playoff over the Nittany Lions, thus eliminating the first concept listed above.
An Alabama-Georgia SEC title game would involve all three of those concepts. Obviously, if the loser gets into the playoff, we will have another non-conference champion making it in like we saw last year with Ohio State. But, that would also bring the other two concepts into question.
What if both teams do enter the game with a loss like they did in 2012? What if one team is unbeaten and the other team has a close loss to a solid team and loses? In that case, we would likely see a two-loss team getting into the College Football Playoff and the SEC getting two teams in, thus eliminating every single concept on that list above.
But, will that really be what the Selection Committee thinks is best not only for this year but for the future of the sport? Seeing how we have never been faced with a scenario like this before in the three prior playoffs, it’s anyone’s guess. What precedent will the Selection Committee set?
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An Alabama-Georgia SEC Championship Game has many more implications than simply a game featuring the winners of the SEC’s two divisions. The repercussions of the game could be felt immediately down the road in this season’s playoff, and even years down the road in future playoffs. So get Saturday, Dec. 2 marked on your calendars; T-minus 35 days and counting.