Alabama is the most hated college football team in the country, according to a Wall Street Journal poll. The Crimson Tide should be the most beloved college football team among Michigan fans. If folks in Ann Arbor aren't adopting Bama as their 2018 bandwagon program, they're doing it wrong. Same for fans of Oklahoma, Washington State and other playoff contenders.
If Alabama wins out, they're in, obviously. If Alabama loses a regular-season game but beats Georgia in the SEC Championship, they're in. If Alabama goes 12-0 in the regular season but loses to Georgia, they're in. If the Bulldogs win out in each of those scenarios and finish 12-1, they're also in.
For those scoring at home: One-loss Alabama and one-loss Georgia are guaranteed to make the playoff field.
The SEC would, for the second straight season, send two teams into the College Football Playoff. And, in all likelihood, they'd be joined by undefeated Clemson and undefeated Notre Dame. No room for a one-loss Big 12 champ (i.e. Oklahoma or West Virginia), a one-loss Big Ten champ (i.e. Michigan or Ohio State) or a one-loss Washington State.
Scream all you want about two SEC teams, but your screaming won't keep either Alabama or Georgia out of the playoff.
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Every other conference needs a one-bid SEC. With Notre Dame barreling toward a perfect regular season, three Power Five conferences could get left out of the playoff for the first time in four season.
So as painful as it may be for fans of Michigan, Ohio State, Oklahoma, West Virginia and Washington State — especially those who were among the 16 percent who voted Alabama as their most hated team in college football — you need to be Alabama fans. You need Alabama to run the table and enter the playoff as the undefeated No. 1 seed.
