Alabama makes the College Football Playoff case with its SEC Championship victory: ‘We did our part,’ Nick Saban says
In the SEC Championship Game on Saturday, Alabama stunned Georgia with a 27-24 victory that strengthened its case for the College Football Playoffs and ended the Bulldogs’ historic 29-game winning streak. The Crimson Tide are not guaranteed a spot in the four-team field because they are a one-loss team, but no SEC champion has ever been left out of the playoffs.
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Making a choice will be tough for the selection committee, especially if Florida State prevails in the ACC and another unbeaten conference champion joins the field of competitors. But Alabama took care of its own affairs, making every effort to improve its record.
Regarding whether Alabama merits a trip to the playoffs, head coach Nick Saban stated on the CBS broadcast, “That’s not really for me to decide.” “I’m going to celebrate this victory, and tomorrow we’ll work things out. However, we fulfilled our portion. To give him a chance, we took the necessary actions.
Alabama lost its Week 2 home game against Texas, and another weak showing at USF raised serious questions about its standing among the nation’s best teams. But with 11 straight victories to close the campaign, the Crimson Tide re-emerged as a premier squad.
“I guess they wanted to prove to all the naysayers out there that we can do it,” Saban said. “I knew at halftime that these guys were going to keep fighting. Our guys showed great perseverance to grind it out and get some great drives to answer when they scored. This is great, man. I’m so proud of this team, proud of our players, and proud of our fans. This is great. Winning the SEC is big.”
Jalen Milroe, the quarterback, contributed significantly to that success with his constant development. Once he locked into the starting lineup at the start of conference play, Milroe showed incredible dual-threat ability. His breakout season culminated in an MVP selection for the SEC Championship Game.
With the Bulldogs, Milroe completed 13 of 23 passes for 192 yards and two touchdowns, in addition to gaining 29 yards on 14 carries.
Georgia took an early 7-0 lead after scoring a touchdown, but Alabama scored 17 points in a row to lead 17-7 at halftime. The Crimson Tide maintained their lead throughout, even though the Bulldogs made a late push highlighted by two touchdowns in the fourth quarter. As a result, Georgia suffered its first defeat since 2021.
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“They play as a team, which makes them a great team,” Saban remarked. “They triumph over hardship. They do not give up. They did it all year, and because Georgia has a fantastic team, I’ve never been more proud of a group of guys than these guys are of what they accomplished tonight. They demonstrated today that they are capable of defeating anyone.
