21 hours Ago
The College Football Playoff is beginning to take shape following eight weeks of action. Besides the automatic bid for the conference champion, the SEC may be well represented if the AP Poll serves as any barometer to where the playoff committee may place the final 12. The updated AP Top 25 features nine SEC teams, including No.
2 Georgia, No. 5 Texas, No. 7 Tennessee, No.
8 LSU, No. 14 Texas A&M, No. 15 Alabama, No.
18 Ole Miss, No. 21 Missouri and No. 25 Vanderbilt.
According to ESPN host Paul Finebaum, the conference has four teams, potentially five, that look like playoff teams to this point in the season. Brett Patzke-Imagn Images Georgia is the easy choice for Finebaum after the Bulldog's 30-15 win at Texas on Saturday night. The Longhorns are also in play with just one loss to a top-five team.
We could see a potential rematch between the two in the SEC Championship Game before it's all said and done. But then the questions move on to the only two undefeated teams in conference play in LSU and Texas A&M. The two will square off in Week 9 at Kyle Field.
"I think LSU is in really good shape," Finebaum told ESPN's Matt Barrie on Sunday. "I mean even if they lost to Texas A&M, they still have a path of probably just beating Alabama." The Tigers will take on the Crimson Tide in Week 11 and have a manageable schedule the rest of the way.
The Aggies, however, will have to face Texas at the end of the season. Tennessee also "looks like a playoff team" to Finebaum. The Vols, who fell to Arkansas in Week 7, took down the Crimson Tide at home on Saturday night.
Tennessee's toughest remaining test will come in Week 12 at Georgia, a game that the Vols could very well win, according to Finebaum. Finebaum sees the best path for UGA, Texas, LSU and Tennessee to make the playoff, but he thinks Ole Miss is the "most intriguing team" to gain an additional spot. Similarly to Tennessee, Ole Miss' path to the playoff likely runs through Georgia.
The Rebels already have two losses to Kentucky and LSU, making the Week 11 home matchup against the Bulldogs a potential make-or-break game. "I know I'm putting too many in, right, because we're not sitting here looking at the 16 schools and the schedule," Finebaum said. "But I think the SEC is back at four.
The other day I was wondering (about an) outside shot at a fifth." The conference champion will have a first-round bye and a top-four spot in the final rankings, as will winners of the ACC, Big Ten, and Big 12. The highest-ranked Group of Five champion will also get an automatic bid.
Selections after that will all depend on how the committee views the different resumes. The first rankings are slated to be released on Tuesday, Nov. 5, at 7 p.
m. ET on ESPN. Related: Paul Finebaum Names Historic College Football Program That is an ‘Absolute Trainwreck’.
