Ty Simpson slowly eased forward toward the microphone before showcasing a confidence and a swagger Alabama football has seen all season long.

Alabama lost to Georgia in the SEC Championship Game 28-7 on Saturday, Dec. 6, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, handing the Crimson Tide its first loss in a conference title game since 2008.

Alabama erased a 17-point deficit on the road in Oklahoma to beat the Sooners and advance to the Rose Bowl to face No. 1 Indiana.

Alabama lost just once the rest of the regular season (to Tennessee in late October) to clinch the SEC West title, while Florida won its final five SEC games to take the East. That set up a rematch in the SEC championship game, scheduled for Dec. 4 in Atlanta.

Before Alabama heads to Norman for a first-round CFP date against Oklahoma, I let EA Sports College Football 26 determine the Crimson Tide's fate.

The voices have gotten louder from administrators, coaches and fans alike when it comes to public and private schools competing against one another from a athletic championships competition standpoint.

If you're planning on going to ESPN's College GameDay set you better get there early. If you're watching on TV here are the stories and guests they're planning.