Despite finishing their SEC regular season schedule with a win over Tennessee, Georgia football still has a chance to make it to Atlanta for the SEC Championship game. With the SEC doing away with divisions, the top two teams in the regular season standings will earn spots in the title game.
While that sounds straightforward, this season’s standings are anything but. Texas and Texas A&M currently lead the conference with one loss each, but they face each other in the season finale, ensuring one will pick up a second loss. Behind them is a cluster of two-loss teams, including Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, and Ole Miss. Each has a path to the championship game, but Georgia will need some external factors to fall in their favor.
Here are three scenarios that could send the Bulldogs to Atlanta:
1. Texas and Texas A&M Both End the Season with Two Losses
For Georgia to secure a rematch against Alabama in this scenario, both Texas and Texas A&M must finish the season with two conference losses.
Since Texas and A&M play each other in the season finale, one of them will definitely end with two losses. However, the team that wins this matchup must lose its prior game. This means either:
- A&M loses to Auburn this weekend and beats Texas the following week, or
- Texas falls to Kentucky at home and defeats A&M on the road.
While this scenario is improbable, it’s not impossible in a season full of surprises. Should it happen, Georgia could face Alabama in the championship, highlighting an ironic twist where two former division-dominant teams still find their way to Atlanta after divisions are eliminated.
2. Every Home SEC Team Wins the Rest of the Season
Though highly unlikely, if every remaining SEC game is won by the home team, Georgia would face Texas A&M in the SEC Championship.
Under this scenario, Alabama, Ole Miss, and Tennessee would all suffer a third conference loss, falling below Georgia in the standings. Texas and A&M would each finish with two losses as well. Georgia would advance thanks to a head-to-head tiebreaker over Texas, setting up a matchup against A&M.
This outcome would be favorable for Georgia, as the Aggies appear to be the most beatable team among the contenders.
3. Alabama Loses, Ole Miss and Tennessee Win Out
The simplest path for Georgia to reach Atlanta involves an Alabama loss.
Currently, Alabama leads the standings due to their advantage in the conference opponents’ winning percentage tiebreaker. For Georgia to overtake them, the Crimson Tide must lose one of their final two games—against Oklahoma or Auburn.
If Alabama stumbles, Georgia would win the tiebreaker against Ole Miss, Tennessee, and the loser of the Texas-A&M game. This scenario would set up a championship showdown between Georgia and the winner of the Texas-A&M matchup.
The Road Ahead
While none of these scenarios are guaranteed, Georgia fans still have reasons to hope. The Bulldogs may need some help from other teams, but stranger things have happened in the SEC.
