That was the last thing Alabama football fans wanted to see on Saturday night. With the SEC glory on the line, the Crimson Tide laid an egg and suffered a 28-7 loss. Not only did the Tide miss out on the SEC title, but now there's worry that the committee could even leave them out of the CFP.
Vegas odds allow Alabama fans to take a deep breath amid CFP fears
That'd be the worst-case scenario for head man Kalen DeBoer, who was understandably frustrated not long after the final whistle. However, he's got plenty of people talking with some of his postgame comments and not in a good way. DeBoer was asked about Bama potentially being left out of the CFP and this response in particular doesn't sit well with folks:
Kalen DeBoer as part of his playoff pitch: “It was a 14 point game with 7 1/2 minutes to go and we had the ball.”
— Mike Rodak (@mikerodak) December 7, 2025
Alabama fans are not happy with Kalen DeBoer after the SEC title game loss to Georgia
If that's part of your main pitch to get into the College Football Playoff following your third loss of the season, then there's a problem. This fall, the Crimson Tide have suffered defeats to Florida State, Oklahoma and Georgia.
From our chair, Saturday's loss shouldn't impact Alabama, as it was an extra game. In the regular season, Bama went 10-2 and was ranked No. 9 in the latest CFP rankings. That should be a case closed deal, right? Not so fast, as the deflating loss to Georgia has analysts thinking DeBoer and his players might get left out.
It wasn't just that Alabama suffered a loss, it's that they looked sluggish from start to finish. DeBoer wasn't at his best either, with people still questioning his decision to go for it on 4th down in his own territory with more than eight minutes to go. He had all three timeouts left, yet his major gamble didn't pay off and UGA scored a game-sealing TD not long after.
Kalen DeBoer on the decision to go for it on 4th down in the 4Q:
— Emily Grace McWhorter (@EmmyG_Sports) December 7, 2025
“I’m here to win an SEC Championship, if you lose by one or more it’s still a loss…we’re here to win an SEC Championship”
While we understand that DeBoer wanted to risk things to put his team in the best position to win, there's just no reason he shouldn't have punted there. The Georgia offense was struggling to get into a rhythm too, but putting them in a golden spot to score was, respectfully, a silly call.
As soon as the final whistle went off, Georgia players were celebrating wildly and the Alabama playmakers were left shaking their heads. This was a brutal loss for the Tide, but it could prove to be season-changing for DeBoer if the committee ends up robbing this team of a trip to the CFP.