The Alabama Crimson Tide set a new low in the SEC Championship Game. The 28-7 win by Georgia was the fifth SEC Championship Game loss for Alabama. The 21-point deficit is by far the worst loss. Before Saturday, Alabama's worst had been two 15-point losses to Florida in 1993 and 1996. The Crimson Tide still leads all SEC football teams with 11 wins in the big game.
Another fact is that the 21-point loss was Alabama's worst loss against the Bulldogs since 1976. The '76 Tide team lost 21-0 to Georgia in Athens.
Even more stunning is that the Crimson Tide's net minus-three yards rushing against the Bulldogs was Alabama's worst since 1968, and according to multiple sources, it was also Alabama's second-worst performance since the 1940s. Almost as stunning are the 18 quarterback pressures applied by the Bulldogs.
Georgia, not the Alabama Crimson Tide deserved to win
There is little more worth discussing about the game. A hat tip goes to Kirby Smart, his staff, and his players. The Georgia Bulldogs outcoached and outplayed the Alabama Crimson Tide. Yes, Alabama was without key players, but that is no excuse. It was the Crimson Tide's too frequently seen weaknesses that made it no match for the Bulldogs. Had Georgia not had 80 yards in penalties compared to five for Alabama, the beating would have been even worse.
The sun will come up on Sunday morning in Tuscaloosa. On Saturday night, some Alabama football fans were not sure it would. Shortly after 11:00 AM CST, Alabama's playoff result will be known. A reasonable claim is that a team should not be excluded by losing a conference championship game because teams that did not play on championship weekend are ranked above it. Especially not a team with Alabama's Strength of Schedule, number of wins over ranked teams, and having split two games with the SEC Champion.
If the Playoff Selection Committee decides otherwise, Alabama will have no one but itself to blame. If Alabama misses the Playoff again, Kalen DeBoer will return, with little margin for error in the 2026 season.
Note: Alabama historical records provided by Sports Reference, mcubed.net and rolltide.com