Georgia vs. Alabama: Which program is more apt to make the 2023-24 College Football Playoffs?

When thinking about the College Football Playoffs, two teams that immediately come to mind are the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Georgia Bulldogs. Both programs have a bit of a question mark at the quarterback position and need to figure out how things will look for the 2023-24 season and beyond.

The Georgia Bulldogs won their second consecutive national championship last season. At the same time, the Alabama Crimson Tide missed the College Football Playoffs for only the second time since this format was created in 2014. But which program has the better shot of making it this year?

The case for the Georgia Bulldogs

The Georgia Bulldogs had an incredible offensive juggernaut last season: they finished fifth in total yards per game (501.1) and tied for fourth in points (41.1). As is the case in college football, they have lost significant pieces from their championship team on both sides of the ball.

Quarterback Stetson Bennett, running back Kenny McIntosh, offensive tackle Broderick Jones, and tight end Darnell Washington are key contributors on the offense that are no longer on the team. However, the defense was the bread and butter of this program and was the main reason for their College Football Playoff victories.

The defense lost incredible talent that will be extremely difficult to replicate. They had defensive tackle Jalen Carter, edge rusher Nolan Smith, cornerback Kelee Ringo, safety Christopher Smith II, and edge rusher Robert Beal Jr all selected in the 2023 NFL draft.

Their defense was second in the nation with 12.8 points per game given up and ninth in NCAA Football with 291.2 yards per game allowed. They have incredible talent, and with head coach Kirby Smart stepping up, it will be difficult to see the program take a step back. However, the college football playoffs seem more of a pipe dream this season than ever.

Why Alabama has a better chance of making the College Football Playoffs

Alabama has been doing the song and dance of losing incredible talent for the last 20 years. The program lost quarterback Bryce Young and running back Jahmyr Gibbs to the 2023 NFL draft on the offensive side. Nick Saban has six national championship rings to boast about and has focused on the ball's offensive side, averaging 41.1 points per game.

Their defense is not at the same capability as Georgia, but the college football playoffs will include Alabama, whether people want to admit it or not. History tells us that Georgia lost too many premier players to even stand a chance in a loaded SEC.