Austin, Texas - If Alabama wins the SEC championship, will they pose a challenge for Texas in reaching the College Football Playoff?

Texas and Alabama are both in the running for the CFP despite currently holding the 7th and 8th spots in the rankings. However, securing that spot won't be a walk in the park.

To make it to the Playoff, both these 1-loss teams will need to clinch victory in their conference title games this Saturday. Additionally, they'll be crossing their fingers for favorable outcomes in the other Power Five conference championship games.

Alabama faces a particularly tough challenge against No. 1 Georgia in the SEC Championship Game, where the Bulldogs boast an impressive 29-game winning streak — the longest in SEC history.

But, most importantly, there's one burning question that makes things really, really interesting: if Alabama manages to pull off a surprise win against Georgia, could they leapfrog over Texas in the rankings and secure a spot in the College Football Playoff?

This scenario raises intrigue, especially considering Texas had a 34-24 victory over Alabama in Tuscaloosa back in Week 2.

The College Football Playoff committee, led by chairman Bill Hancock, aims to pick the "best" teams for the CFP, not just the ones that seem the "most deserving."

Hancock's words suggest that the committee might skip over an undefeated Florida State and maybe even a Texas team, both ranked higher than Alabama, even if all three clinch victories in their championships.

Backing this idea, ESPN's Paul Finebaum argued on Wednesday that if Alabama beats Georgia in this weekend's SEC Championship Game, they should get a playoff spot over Texas.

"To me, Alabama and Texas are razor close," Finebaum said on ESPN's Get Up. "I'll give Alabama the edge for one reason, because they would've beaten the biggest bully in the land, and that should count for something. That game on September 9 is important, but it’s not very important to me, because in my eyes, looking at college football, I see a better team in Alabama."

Texas and Alabama will face off in the Big 12 and SEC championships, respectively, on Saturday at noon and 4 PM ET.