Can Alabama secure a first-round BYE in CFP without making SEC title game?

Alabama football looks to be in a great position to make the 2026 College Football Playoff after defeating the LSU Tigers in Baton Rouge.

The Crimson Tide is currently ranked No. 5 in the College Football Playoff rankings. In the current playoff format, the top four teams will receive a BYE regardless of whether they win their conference championship.

There is a chance the SEC ends the regular season with several teams with two losses in conference play. Alabama, Texas, Kentucky and Tennessee each have two SEC losses already. None of them play one another during the remaining three weeks of the season.

If Georgia wins out, it will likely play one of the teams previously mentioned in the SEC…