Going by what some SEC football rules experts are saying, the Alabama Crimson Tide has a very good chance to advance to Atlanta with a 7-1 SEC record. I also reviewed the SEC's tie-breaker rules pages. I don't advise anyone to do so. The few pages are more inscrutable than reading 600 pages plus of Moby Dick.
It appears likely that Alabama only needs to beat Oklahoma or Auburn to advance to the SEC Championship Game. Some Alabama fans suggest the game would be an unneeded risk to Alabama's playoff chances. I don't believe the concern is valid, but even if it is, SEC Championships should still matter.
ESPN's Playoff Predictor projects that if the Crimson Tide loses to the Sooners and beats Auburn, Alabama would have a 99% playoff probability if not advancing to Atlanta. Losing to OU, making the SEC Championship Game, and losing it only drops Alabama's playoff probability to 95%. The risk of advancing to Atlanta is not gaining a first-round bye with a 10-3 record.
Beating Oklahoma and losing the Iron Bowl is projected with slightly higher playoff probabilities for the Crimson Tide.
Week 11 SEC Football Power Rankings
Now that the CFB Playoff rankings cycle has begun, conference power rankings are almost pointless. Perhaps they retain some entertainment value that is best served with little fanfare.
1) Texas A&M Aggies (9-0, 6-0), 2) Alabama Crimson Tide (801, 6-0), 3) Georgia Bulldogs (8-1, 6-1), 4) Ole Miss Rebels (9-1, 5-1), 5) Oklahoma Sooners (7-2, 3-2), 6) Texas Longhorns (7-2, 4-1), 7) Vanderbilt Commodores (8-2, 4-2), 8) Tennessee Vols (6-3, 3-3), 9) Missouri Tigers (6-3, 2-3), 10) LSU Bengal Tigers (5-4, 2-4), 11) Kentucky Wildcats (4-5, 2-5), 12) South Carolina Gamecocks (3-6, 1-6), 13) Mississippi State Bulldogs (5-5, 1-5), 14) Auburn Tigers (4-6, 1-6), 15) Florida Gators (3-6, 2-4), 16) Arkansas Razorbacks (2-7, 0-5)