ESPN's Paul Finebaum sees a scenario in which No. 10 Alabama could be left out of the College Football Playoff (CFP) field, despite making the SEC Championship.
During a Monday interview with Birmingham WBRC's "Good Day Alabama," the longtime SEC commentator
Finebaum suggested the Crimson Tide should be a "lock" for the playoff, but said it was "conceivable" that they could get snubbed with a big loss to No. 3 Georgia and the field getting crowded.
“I think it’s pretty important because, while Alabama should be a lock for the College Football Playoff by getting to the SEC Championship Game, they are not,” Finebaum said when asked about the importance of Tuesday's CFP rankings release. “And that’s because we decide the postseason based on how 12 people sitting in a room in Texas feel.”
“And, everyone knows the scenario: If Alabama wins, they're in, and it's an automatic bye," he continued. "But, if they lose, and I think it’s not so much of losing, it’s maybe losing by 10 points and then a bunch of other things happen that crowd the field, it’s conceivable, as much as I hate to say that, Alabama could be left out."
The 2025 SEC Championship Game kicks off at 3 p.m. on Saturday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
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