Now, Alabama football gets to play the waiting game.
A team that has been in the SEC Championship Game more often than it hasn’t during Nick Saban‘s time in Tuscaloosa has to watch this year. Georgia and LSU face each other Saturday after the Tigers won the SEC West a few weeks back.
Alabama will play in a bowl game, and one of the New Year’s Six is all but assured at this juncture. The College Football Playoff remains a bit of a pipe dream, but it’s not completely out of the realm of possibility. Still, a lot would have to go right for the Crimson Tide (10-2, 6-2 SEC) to make it back to the four-team CFP field.
The rankings released Tuesday will be interesting and noteworthy, nonetheless. If one-loss Ohio State is ranked ahead of the Crimson Tide, that doesn’t bode well for Alabama. If the Crimson Tide is ranked ahead of the Buckeyes, that opens the door a bit wider.
The other ranking to watch is where Alabama sits in relation to LSU and Tennessee. Both the Tigers and Vols beat Alabama in the regular season, but both teams have bad losses since. A week ago, that resulted in the CFP committee dropping Tennessee to No. 10 behind No. 7 Alabama.
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LSU was fifth but will likely fall after a 38-23 loss to Texas A&M.
The CFP rankings for SEC teams are noteworthy because the highest-ranked SEC team not in the playoff will go to the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans.
If Alabama remains ranked ahead of both, the bowl game is clear: Sugar Bowl. If the Crimson Tide is not ranked ahead of both, then it becomes a bit uncertain.
With that, let’s look at where Alabama is headed in the most recent bowl projections.
ESPN: Sugar Bowl vs. Kansas State
Details: 11 a.m. kickoff on Saturday, Dec. 31. Broadcast on ESPN
Both ESPN reporters Kyle Bonagura and Mark Schlabach have the Crimson Tide going to New Orleans and facing the Wildcats.
USA TODAY SPORTS: Sugar Bowl vs. Kansas State
Erick Smith also projects the Crimson Tide will be in New Orleans.
CBS: Sugar Bowl vs. Kansas State
Jerry Palm has Alabama headed to the Sugar Bowl, too.
247Sports: Sugar Bowl vs. Kansas State
Brad Crawford joins the group with the Sugar Bowl. At this point, it’s the most-likely destination, but the Tuesday rankings and what happens on conference-game weekend could create a change.
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Alabama football bowl projections: Where could Nick Saban’s team play?