Paul Finebaum explains if Alabama vs. Tennessee is now a College Football Playoff elimination game

Alabama survived a nail-biter against South Carolina, while Tennessee emerged victorious over Florida in overtime. Both programs bounced back from a loss the previous week.

Now they’re set to square off at Neyland Stadium this weekend in a game that ESPN analyst Paul Finebaum called a playoff elimination game.

“Absolutely, because for Alabama all the goodwill from — I’m speaking committee wise now, because I’m just depending on the people that actually know this stuff — this would almost count as a third loss,” Finebaum said on The Matt Barrie Show. “Because they’re not giving them any credit for beating South Carolina. So you look at that and go ‘yeah,’ but then I’ll leave the rest of the schedule on the other side. But to me it would be a cataclysmic loss.”

Alabama’s schedule on the other side?

It includes games against No. 19 Missouri and a road trip to No. 8 LSU. There’s also a road trip to Oklahoma and a home date with rival Auburn.

Not an unmanageable stretch, but a difficult one. And if Alabama hopes to make the College Football Playoff, it probably needs to make it through that slate with one loss at maximum.

The situation is similar for Tennessee on the other side.

“Then if Tennessee can win then I think they’re back in the conversation very easily, but I think the loser is probably going to pack it in,” Finebaum said. “Because Tennessee will still have Georgia left. They’ve got a couple other games and we’ve already gone over the Alabama schedule, which is prickly.”

Tennessee’s schedule includes a game at No. 5 Georgia. Other than that it’s manageable, though a road trip to Vanderbilt to close out the slate could prove slippery.

In any case, this weekend’s contest looms large. Whether it’s Alabama or Tennessee emerging victorious, the prospect of becoming a College Football Playoff team will remain. The loser can probably kiss those hopes goodbye.