This is being termed an elimination game, but that’s probably underselling it, and another example of why the expanded College Football Playoff is working.
Both teams already would be eliminated from a four-team Playoff. But now this game matters for the postseason, not just because the loser is almost certainly out, but because the winner has an excellent chance of being in.
That’s especially true of Alabama, which would own wins over Georgia and LSU, and just needs to take care of Mercer, Oklahoma in Norman, and Auburn to be 10-2. It’s hard to see that not being enough.
LSU has a slightly tougher road – at Florida, home against Vanderbilt and Oklahoma – but would have two good wins, over Alabama and Ole Miss. The Tigers would still have a shot at the SEC Championship Game.
Nothing is assured, of course, and much still depends on what happens elsewhere. But the stakes of this game are another benefit of playoff expansion.
