Joel Klatt Discusses The Final CFP Top 4 If Alabama Knocks Off Georgia

During his show this week, Fox Sports College Football analyst Joel Klatt discussed what he thinks the CFP committee would do if No. 8 Alabama were to knock off No. 1 Georgia in the SEC Championship on Saturday.

Assuming that Michigan and Texas win on Saturday, Klatt has both teams in the playoffs. If Alabama beats Georgia, he also has the Crimson Tide in, leaving just one spot open for a potentially undefeated Florida State team, the Pac-12 Champion, or possibly Georgia. Per SDS:

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“In that case, Michigan’s No. 1, they’re in,” Klatt said on his show on Wednesday. “Now you got three spots, five teams. Bama 12-1, Georgia 12-1, Florida State 13-0, Texas 12-1, Oregon 12-1. Here’s what’s so fascinating. I firmly believe that there is no way that the SEC champ doesn’t go. So the next team I’m gonna put in, not in a rank, Alabama is in in that scenario. They’re a one-loss SEC champ. They would be, in that case, undefeated through an SEC season and an SEC Championship game, end the nation’s longest winning streak, beat the 2-time defending national champions.”

But he also said that if you put in Alabama, you also have to include Texas, given the Longhorns win on Saturday.

“You can’t put Alabama in the Playoff without Texas, because Texas beat Alabama,” Klatt said. “They would also be 12-1, they would also be a champ. So there’s two of your spots. Michigan, Bama, Texas would be in.”

The committee will have a headache deciding what to do with Florida State if they win. The Seminoles will be without their starting quarterback, who suffered an injury, and it’s hard to argue they are the same team without Jordan Travis. Klatt said the easiest way to leave them out is by putting Georgia in over Florida State and the Pac-12 champion.

“If you wanted to leave Florida State out if you’re the committee, the easiest way to leave Florida State out is to put Georgia in the Playoff,” Klatt said.

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