The Southeastern Conference continues its success in the College Football Playoff.
It has yet to have a school from its group not make the CFP since it started in 2014.
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Alabama captured a CFP National Championship for the SEC in 2015, 2017, and 2020.
LSU won a CFP National Title in 2019 and Georgia became back-to-back national champions in 2021 and 2022. The SEC has delivered high television ratings, revenue shares, and sports betting to the playoff, and it has the Crimson Tide representing it this year. Some had a genuine concern that the SEC would be left out of the CFP this time around. The CFP Committee kept the Tide at No. 8 in its rankings for a long time. Alabama put the committee in a corner after its SEC Championship victory over Georgia, forcing it to make a decision. Nick Saban’s team got in over Florida State — despite the Seminoles being an undefeated conference champion — and faces Michigan in the Rose Bowl. Joel Klatt, a college football analyst for Fox Sports, explained on his podcast how the success of the SEC got the Tide in the playoff for an eighth time. Coach Saban is pursuing his eighth national title.
“They have built a reputation as the best conference in the land. This is not just some team from the SEC… It’s Alabama. It’s the SEC team.”@JoelKlatt discusses if the SEC’s success in the CFP era helped Alabama get in the playoff over FSU ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/5qFqFTAv5m
— The Joel Klatt Show: A CFB Pod (@JoelKlattShow) December 4, 2023
The SEC has a reputation of being the best conference in college football.
Its slogan, “It Just Means More,” took on a new meaning when Alabama dethroned Georgia at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
It meant more to the Tide to prove naysayers wrong and show it belongs in the CFP.
Alabama is one of three marquee power brands in the playoff, joining Michigan and Texas. All three schools compel people to a television set, buy tickets to attend matchups in person, or place bets. It will be fun to see who comes out as the national champion, but the SEC’s dominance speaks for itself as to why Alabama got in over FSU.
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Stephen M. Smith is the managing editor and senior writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @CoachingMSmith.
