ESPN has its College Football Playoff selection show drama.

Pundits and fans will debate whether No. 5 Oklahoma, now 12-1 after beating No. 14 Texas to win the Big 12 Championship Game, or No. 4 Georgia, now 11-2 after falling to No. 1 Alabama, deserves to make the final four.

Kirk Herbstreit opined during the game that Georgia was one of the final four with a close loss. Most would call a seven-point loss (closer than the Vegas spread) a “close loss.”

Kirby Smart used his postgame press conference to passionately plead UGA’s case to be in the CFP. Part of that case was that Alabama doesn’t want to play Georgia again.

Nick Saban confirmed Smart was right.

“They are one of the four best teams in the country,” Saban said in his press conference. “I don’t want to play them again. That is the ultimate compliment I can give them.”

He also shared his thoughts that Georgia shouldn’t be punished for losing to the top team.

“If you lose by 7 points to the No. 1 team, you shouldn’t slip too far,” Saban said.

The problem for Georgia, however, is that slipping at all is “too far.” We shall see what the selection committee decides.