The Georgia Bulldogs are going to need help to get to Atlanta this season. Last year, Georgia was able to lose two regular season conference games and still make it to the SEC Championship game. However, this season is different.
Georgia has only one loss to Alabama, and yet the Bulldogs don't control their own destiny to get back to Atlanta. The two teams ahead of them are Alabama and Texas A&M and both could finish the season undefeated stull. So Georgia could really benefit from both teams losing, and Oklahoma and South Carolina could do just that for the Bulldogs.
1. Oklahoma vs Alabama
At this point in the season it would be a long shot for Alabama to miss the SEC Championship. They are undefeated in conference play and hold the tiebreaker over Georgia. However, there is still a chance. If Alabama were to drop their week 12 game against Oklahoma, Auburn would then have the chance to completely knock them out of the championship game the final week of the regular season.
The good news is that it is not a major upset for Oklahoma to beat Alabama. The Sooners are led by John Mateer, who sat atop many experts' Heisman watch list for the first several weeks of the season.
Last year, Oklahoma beat the Crimson Tide in Norman under now Auburn quarterback Jackson Arnold. Could Oklahoma and Arnold find a way to keep Alabama out of Atlanta once again?
2. South Carolina vs Texas A&M
South Carolina is no stranger to pulling massive upsets to keep a conference rival out of championship contention. The Gamecocks stunned Tennessee at home in 2022 to knock that explosive offense out of championship hopes and nearly beat Alabama this season as well. If South Carolina beats the Aggies in Kyle Field, that game alone is enough to push Georgia ahead of Texas A&M as long as the Dawgs win out.
The Aggies could be caught looking too far ahead at their matchup against Texas and forget that the Gamecocks were highly ranked to start the regular season. They are explosive and talented, so they need to watch out for South Carolina.
Implications for Georgia
As far as Georgia is concerned, their main focus should be to keep winning games and look impressive while doing it. The College Football Playoff committee can be unpredictable at times, so the more ranked wins the better for the Bulldogs.
If Georgia wins out, they will not need to worry about making a case for the playoff. However, a SEC Championship game appearance does not necessarily hurt either. Whether making the SEC Championship game or not is more impactful for Georgia is up for debate. However, South Carolina and Oklahoma could make that conversation even louder in Athens.