Is Alabama vs. Tennessee a CFP elimination game?

The 2022 game between Tennessee and Alabama was as good as advertised. Last season's installment of the "Third Saturday in October" wasn't as exciting. Even with it being an interconference rivalry, this year's game means a little bit more than in year's past. 

Both teams are coming off underwhelming wins. Florida has had its struggles during the 2024 season and Tennessee narrowly escaped with an overtime win. And Alabama was fortunate enough to pull off the win over South Carolina, which has been inconsistent this season as well. 

But this game isn’t as much about living up to the hype of the anticipated matchup. This one could very much be a College Football Playoff elimination game. It’s possible a two-loss team can sneak into the CFP.

Why Alabama vs. Tennessee doesn’t have to be a CFP elimination game

It seems like regardless of which SEC team it is, there’s a chance there’s a two-loss SEC team that reaches the College Football Playoff. On top of that, it could very well be one of Tennessee or Alabama. 

Alabama and Tennessee are probably the two strongest teams in the conference right now. The Crimson Tide, despite losing to a subpar Vanderbilt team, are still one of the best SEC teams. The one good thing about the SEC this year is no one seems unbeatable. 

By that logic, two losses in the SEC this year might not end your season. Which bodes well for both Tennessee and Alabama. 

The Volunteers lost to Arkansas before narrowly escaping a win over Florida in overtime last week. Both teams have a lot to prove going into this game. For Tennessee, it’s a chance to get a marquee win on the year. While Oklahoma was ranked when they played, they’ve since dropped out of the AP poll. 

For Alabama, it could be the win that gets it back on track. While they don’t have anymore ranked games left as of now, a win over Tennessee might be the confidence boost this teams needs to contend for a CFP spot. 

And the good thing for either team is they may not need an SEC championship berth to get into the playoff. There could be at least three teams with two losses in the SEC. If one of those is Tennessee or Alabama, there’s a chance a loss doesn’t quite end the season.