Obviously the easy answer is to beat Georgia Saturday evening in the SEC Championship, and Alabama is guaranteed a spot in this year's 12-team playoff field. The biggest what-if question facing the Tide is if they happen to lose a close game to the Bulldogs, would that be enough reason for them not to make the playoff? We saw last year where SMU lost to Clemson in the ACC Championship Game but still made the playoff field, and many people feel the precedent has been set that a team will not be hurt by losing close in a conference championship game. Unfortunately, when the Ponies lost, that was only their second loss of the season, which is why they were able to stay above the SEC teams with three losses on the season.
Of course, a loss would bring the Tide's total to three, and that seems like a path that Alabama does not want to find out what effect that may have on their playoff fate. loses to Georgia on Saturday, that it would be the team's third loss, leaving many questions about how this year's committee feels about a team losing in the conference championship game.
It is worrisome from an Alabama perspective that there are a few teams within striking distance with two losses and no possible way to get a third one on Championship Saturday. Would that be enough to convince the committee to slide one of these teams over allow one of these teams over the Tide? Also, if BYU beats Texas Tech, it is going to be hard to keep the Big 12 from getting two teams in the field, further cutting into the margin of error.
My biggest concern would be the committee citing that the loss to Georgia in the SEC Championship game was not what eliminated the Tide from the playoff field, but the bad loss in week one to Florida State. There are quite a few two-loss teams without games on Saturday, and I am not convinced the committee would not have one, like a Miami jump Alabama in the final rankings if the Tide have three losses after Saturday.
It may help that Kalen DeBoer's team has already beaten the Bulldogs in Athens, so a close loss in Atlanta may not have as negative an effect as it may seem. It would just be best to continue the winning streak against Georgia and not leave anything to the chance of a committee that is never consistent.