Georgia football: Can Bulldogs make College Football Playoff without winning SEC?

Georgia football has been No. 1 in the CFP rankings without argument but will the Bulldogs still make the College Football Playoff without winning the SEC?

The Georgia Bulldogs have, rightfully, been an unquestioned No. 1 team in the first three releases of the CFP rankings. As one of three undefeated teams and by far the most dominant in the group — in addition to playing in the vaunted SEC — Georgia football has been where they deserve.

Unless something goes horribly awry, the belief would be that the Bulldogs are going to finish the regular season undefeated as their final two games are against Charleston Southern and Georgia Tech. That then would lead them into the SEC Championship Game where they will likely face off against the Alabama Crimson Tide.

But that brings us to the million-dollar question that everyone is asking in Athens: If Georgia lost to Bama in the SEC Championship Game, would they still be in the College Football Playoff?

Georgia football: Can Bulldogs make CFP if they don’t win the SEC?

Obviously, the easiest path to the playoff for the Dawgs is to beat the Crimson Tide. With that, they’ll be in without debate and will surely be the No. 1 seed.

A loss to Alabama in the SEC Championship Game would throw that into question, though. And frankly, it might come down to the manner in which they were to lose.

If the Bulldogs, a team which has one critique against it which is playing a relatively modest SEC schedule this season, were to get blown out by the Crimson Tide, then there could be viable arguments for keeping them out of the playoff. If it was a close loss to the No. 2-ranked team in the CFP rankings, though, then they would surely get in.

All told, if Georgia makes the SEC Championship Game without a loss on their ledger, then they are almost surely going to get into the College Football Playoff. But still, a loss to Alabama would put that into question, which is a spot Kirby Smart and the Dawgs would like to avoid being in.

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