Are you tired of reading about the NCAA settlement, future salary caps, NIL and the uncertain future of SEC football? Yep, I thought so.
With less than 100 days until SEC schools begin the 2024 season, it's time to streamline the first-ever expanded, 12-team College Football Playoff.
Overall, it's good news for the SEC, as Texas (No. 4 in ESPN's latest SP+ rankings) and Oklahoma (No. 15) join preseason favorite Georgia and a Nick Saban-less, explosive Alabama (No. 6) with new head coach Cullen DeBoer, along with teams like LSU (No. 10), Ole Miss (No. 8), Missouri (No. 11), Texas A&M (No. 13) and Tennessee (No. 15) looking to crash the 2024 playoff party.
That being said, there are still some scenarios that could infuriate SEC fans.
The No. 1 reason SEC teams are at a disadvantage – A 12th-ranked SEC team plays a 5th-ranked conference champion.
Based on last year's College Football Playoff final standings, No. 12 Oklahoma would have finished worse than Conference USA champion Liberty, ranked No. 23. Such a scenario may be more controversial than last season, when undefeated ACC champion Florida State beat Alabama to miss out on being included in the Final Four.
It's easy to imagine a scenario this season in which LSU, Ole Miss, Missouri, Texas A&M, Tennessee and even Alabama all fight for that final playoff spot.
SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey didn't hide his opinion on the matter. “This is a bracket,” he said. “It's not the top 12 teams. I've said all along, when this was first put in place, that this was a possibility. It's not a surprise. It's not something we should welcome.”
The final regular season games on Saturday, November 30th, between Texas and Texas A&M and between Oklahoma and LSU, are particularly noteworthy.
The second way SEC teams fail – They have a great season but don't win the conference championship.
Georgia and Texas are widely considered two of the top four teams throughout the season, and it all boils down to an exciting SEC Championship Game, assuming Georgia wins. The Bulldogs are guaranteed a top-four spot as conference winners. The Longhorns can only go as high as No. 5, as the rules state “top-four conference champions receive a first-round exemption.”
In case you didn't know, Notre Dame can't finish higher than 5th because they can't win a conference championship.
(Also, let's not forget: “The 2024 season will be the first year since 1991 that the SEC plays a schedule without divisional competition. The top two teams in the league standings, based on winning percentage, will compete in the 33rd SEC Football Championship Game on Saturday, Dec. 7 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.”)
3 Ways SEC Teams Fail – Too Many Good Teams Lead to Too Many Losses
The SEC is a very strong team this season. Looking at the weighted preseason rankings mentioned above, 9 of the top 15 schools are from the SEC. With so few games, it's hard to imagine any team advancing with more than two losses. LSU finished last season 13th in the final College Playoff rankings with a 9-3 record, but they would have dropped two spots because of Liberty.
The college football season is going to be a lot more exciting with more opportunities for SEC schools to make the playoffs. But that doesn't mean you still need to be furious if your team loses. Come on!
