Alabama walked out of Atlanta carrying a 28-7 loss that came with consequences. The Crimson Tide, at 10-3, must now wait for the CFP selection show to learn whether their resume survived the SEC Championship collapse. But HC Kalen DeBoer’s postgame tone made it clear he believes the committee should ignore the scoreboard, pushing back against the idea that the loss should chip away at the Tide’s resume.

“If this game applies to and takes away from our resume, I don’t think that’s right, I really don’t,” Kalen DeBoer said in his post game conference speech on December 6. “I think the precedent’s been set, and I don’t know how you can go into a conference playoff game when you’re the number one seed and did all these things throughout the year. And playing in this game against one of the top teams in the country as well, how that can hurt you and keep you out of the playoff.”

Kalen DeBoer’s stance is simple. A top-seeded team facing another top program in a conference championship should not be punished for reaching that stage. Alabama may have failed to match Georgia’s precision, but they also delivered one of the season’s most meaningful accomplishments when they snapped the Bulldogs’ 33-game home winning streak at Sanford Stadium in the regular season. That win keeps the Tide in the committee room, no matter how the SEC title game looked.

Saturday’s game was a forgettable one for Bama fans but Kalen DeBoer knows the resume has bulk. The Tide beat the nation’s toughest road environment. They own two Top-25 victories and five wins over bowl-bound teams. They rank 11th in strength of schedule, eighth in strength of record, and seventh in game control. Before Saturday, they held the No. 1 game-control metric among all SEC contenders. And the committee has already shown hints that it values that profile.

Alabama moved ahead of Notre Dame earlier this week, a shift committee chair Hunter Yurachek said was guided by the Tide’s controlled performance at Auburn, up 17 in the first half and steady late. Their worst loss remains the Florida State game, but the committee has not referenced it recently after noting it in early November. But the bigger issue is their pursuit of history.

Alabama must become the first three-loss at-large team ever selected to the playoff. Their turnover-heavy loss to Oklahoma lingers, especially after outgaining the Sooners by 194 yards. But their efficiency rating (10th nationally at 84.3) and schedule strength place them firmly within striking range. What happened against Georgia now becomes the counterweight. And the game itself produced every reason for the committee to reevaluate Alabama’s structural concerns.

Georgia dominates as Alabama’s health issues surface

Georgia QB Gunner Stockton controlled the tempo, finishing 20-for-26 for 156 yards and three touchdowns to Zachariah Branch, Dillon Bell, and Roderick Robinson II. Nate Frazier added a nine-yard score, and by the time Ty Simpson delivered a 23-yard touchdown to Germie Bernard early in the fourth quarter, the Bulldogs were already in full command. Their defense limited Alabama to 209 total yards and negative-3 rushing yards. UGA turned two early mistakes into touchdowns and built a 21-0 lead before the Tide found rhythm. Kalen DeBoer’s team finished 3-for-13 on third down and never solved Georgia’s interior pressure.

One reason for Alabama’s woes, however, is the depleted roster. RB Jam Miller, who left the Iron Bowl with a lower-leg injury, did not play. Without him, Alabama’s run game collapsed. Nine carries for 17 yards in the first half told the story, with wide receivers forced into backfield duty. TE Josh Cuevas was also ruled out, seen pregame in a boot. Following the game, Kalen DeBoer insisted the roster would look “considerably different” in two weeks.

Top Stories

‘RIP’: NASCAR World Crumbles in Tears as 39-YO Former JR Motorsports Driver Passes Away

Ravens’ Lamar Jackson Demands Short-Term Contract Away From NFL on Thursday

Bills Announce Historic Josh Allen News Before Bengals Game

Chiefs Veteran Gives Up on Playoff Hopes With Patrick Mahomes & Travis Kelce Facing the Impossible

Donald Trump Takes Unexpected Shot at NFL With Name Change Call During FIFA World Cup Draw

Post Jordan Chiles DWTS Success, Olivia Dunne Drops Subtle Hint About Her Next Career Move

A loss to Kirby Smart’s Dawgs may not automatically keep Alabama out, but failing to capitalize on a prime resume-boosting stage may cost them the chance to host or bypass the first round entirely. Meanwhile, Georgia, now 12-1, corrected its lone blemish and positioned itself for a first-round bye in the expanded playoff. Selection Sunday now decides whether Alabama’s season-long resume outweighs its worst-timed performance.