Years the SECCG was a national title play-in game

Any year where both teams involved had a shot at the title, and the winner got to play for it:

2008 - Florida vs Alabama - Florida won and eventually won the BCS title; Alabama was undefeated going into the game

2009 - Alabama vs Florida - Both teams went into the game undefeated; Alabama would win and go on to beat Texas for the national title

2012 - Alabama vs Georgia - Both teams entered the game with one loss; the winner (Alabama) went on to beat Notre Dame for the national title

2013 - Auburn vs Missouri - Auburn entered the game #3; Missouri #5. The #2 team, Ohio State, ended up losing, leaving the winner likely to play Florida State for the national title (the #4 team was Alabama, who would have been jumped by Missouri if they had won). Auburn went on to lose a very close game to Florida State.

2017 - Georgia vs Auburn - Auburn went into the game in the top 4 after wins over Georgia and Alabama to close out the season at 10-2. Georgia entered the game at #6. The winning team was destined for a playoff berth; Georgia won and made it to the final game before losing to Alabama in OT

2018 - Alabama vs Georgia - Alabama and Georgia were ranked in the top 4 going into Championship Weekend. Georgia, losing a very close game, ended #5 in the playoff rankings. Alabama would end up losing to Clemson in the national title game.

2019 - LSU vs Georgia - LSU and Georgia were both in the top 4 going into the SECCG; LSU likely still goes with a loss but Georgia, already with one loss, needed the win to go to the playoffs. LSU ended up winning the SECCG and the National Title.

2021 - Alabama vs Georgia - Georgia was a lock to get in, but Alabama needed to secure the win to make it as a loss in the SECCG would have been their second. Alabama went on to win, but Georgia got revenge in the national title game and take home the bigger trophy.

2023 - Alabama vs Georgia - Georgia came into the game undefeated and #1; Alabama had a lone loss going into the game. Alabama won a very close contest, but lost to the eventual national champions Michigan in the semifinals in OT.

2024 - Playoffs expand to 12 teams; neither participant in danger of being left out.


Other tidbits:

With this year, Georgia officially passes Florida as the second-most common participant in the SECCG (behind only Alabama).

Alabama and Tennessee are the only programs with non-animal team names to participate (the other programs without animal monikers are Ole Miss, Oklahoma, Vanderbilt, Texas A&M). If Texas A&M had beaten Texas, they would have been the third.