Alabama football's outcome Saturday had no bearing on the race for a spot in the SEC championship game, beating Mercer 52-7 at home.
But after Week 12, the Crimson Tide have a much better chance at a championship berth than it did heading into the weekend.
Georgia's 31-17 win against Tennessee added another two-loss team to the SEC. Now the Bulldogs, Volunteers, Alabama and Ole Miss each have two losses heading into Week 13.
At least one more team will be added to the list by the end of the regular season in either Texas or Texas A&M , which could face off as one-loss SEC teams vying for a spot in the championship game Nov. 30.
But the Aggies vs. Longhorns is not the game that controls Alabama's SEC championship destiny.
If Alabama wins out and beats both Oklahoma and Auburn , the Crimson Tide needs Missouri to win one of its final two against either Mississippi State or Arkansas , according to mred's SEC football standings tiebreaker tracker.
If Missouri wins both games, Alabama would have an advantage over Georgia, Ole Miss, Tennessee and either Texas or Texas A&M based on conference opponent win percentage.
The same would remain if Missouri lost to Arkansas.
If Missouri lost to Mississippi State, Alabama would have the same conference opponent win percentage as Georgia. The Crimson Tide has a head-to-head advantage over the Bulldogs after its 41-34 win in September.
Most sportsbooks have Alabama with the second-best odds to reach the SEC championship game behind Texas.
If the Crimson Tide wins an SEC title, it secures a first-round bye in the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff.
If Alabama loses in the SEC championship game, ESPN gives the Crimson Tide a 71% chance to make the CFP.
Colin Gay covers Alabama football for The Tuscaloosa News, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at cgay@gannett.com or follow him @_ColinGay on X, formerly known as Twitter.
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Alabama football path to SEC championship is much clearer
