With two teams from the same conference in the College Football Playoff for the first time, one would think the SEC is set up for a successful postseason. But most fan bases want more than simply a high ranking and national exposure.

Overall, nine SEC teams are in bowl games this season, highlighted by No. 3 Georgia playing No. 2 Oklahoma in the Rose Bowl, and No. 4 Alabama facing No. 1 Clemson in the Sugar Bowl to decide who will meet in Atlanta for the national championship at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Much of this depends upon a team’s record start, such as in the case of Missouri or South Carolina, and if it has exceeded expectations, in the case of Georgia, or even maintaining its level from recent years, such as Alabama or LSU.

Here is how each SEC team playing in the postseason is setup to build offseason momentum into the all-important second phase of the 2018 recruiting class:

Alabama

This is a tenuous situation for the Crimson Tide not only because of last season’s loss to Clemson, but also because of Georgia’s recent recruiting prowess. Alabama needs to at least get back to the national championship to calm any rough waters stirring around the recent string of events that went against the Crimson Tide. Sure, Alabama secured a top-six recruiting class in the early signing period, according to 247Sports, but it landed just one 5-star prospect. Imagine the negative recruiting against Alabama if it loses again to Clemson? Because of the Iron Bowl loss and recruiting developments — not to mention yet another linebacker injury — Alabama needs a positive news story. Verdict? More important than initially advertised.

Auburn

A win here over an undefeated Central Florida team — which appears to be rallying around coach Scott Frost, who took the Nebraska job but has stayed with the Knights to coach this game — would be solid for the Tigers. It would erase bad memories of the injury-filled SEC Championship Game when Kerryon Johnson, most notably, was limited. It’s important for Auburn to keep pace with Alabama and Georgia, and if they both happen to lose their semifinal games, the Tigers could argue they gained a leg up entering the second half of the recruiting period and offseason. Verdict? Important.

Georgia

One win and the top might blow off of the Georgia fan base, and accelerate the “ahead of schedule” talk about Kirby Smart at the end of his second season. If Georgia can pull off two bowl wins, the State Route 10 Loop around Athens might be shut down by revelers for days. Since Georgia has exceeded so many expectations this season, even one win would be a bonus to some in the fan base. But because they’ve become conditioned to this team answering the bell nearly every week, plenty are expecting a Rose Bowl victory. A loss would be chalked up to the layoff, but reinforcements are coming in the form of the No. 2-ranked recruiting class. Verdict? Mildly important.

Kentucky

During Rich Brooks’ era, the Wildcats made a habit of playing in the Music City Bowl, and Mark Stoops is beginning to get the swagger back to the program that could use this kind of bowl as a foundation for more. It won’t be easy against a better-than-average Northwestern team, but with the majority of their recruiting work out of the way, the Wildcats can use a win here to put the bow on a solid recovery from forgettable losses against Louisville and Georgia. Verdict? Mildly important.

Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports

LSU

Ed Orgeron and the Tigers have won six of their past seven, including the past three by an average of 22.3 points per game. This is the 18th straight season LSU has eight wins or more, the longest streak among Power 5 teams. As they continue to be judged by how they fare in the SEC West, holding that line will be critical as they look to jump ahead of Alabama and Auburn next season and beyond. Sure, LSU will be without pass rusher Arden Key, but Notre Dame will also be without multiple players who are suspended for the Citrus Bowl. Since Notre Dame already lost to the SEC champions this year, it’s important for LSU to keep pace with the elite teams in the SEC, and a win over the Fighting Irish would help. Verdict? Crucial.

Missouri

This is likely Drew Lock’s last chance to pad his eye-popping offensive numbers on the program record book as his NFL decision is looming, and offensive coordinator Josh Heupel has moved on to Central Florida. It’s the Tigers’ first bowl appearance since Gary Pinkel’s 2014 team beat Minnesota in the Citrus Bowl. Whatever triggered the Tigers’ turnaround from a 1-5 start to a six-game winning streak, coach Barry Odom has shown he can steer the program to heights that Pinkel established. That includes beating a .500 Big 12 team. Verdict? Important.

Mississippi State

The undercard storyline will be the defensive coordinators who coached each team this season and how they switched roles a year ago — though Todd Grantham, who had been with MSU this season, has moved on to Florida. One key for the Bulldogs will be to identify players looking to make an impression on new coach Joe Moorhead. For some, it will be extra sweet to beat Bobby Petrino, who is 2-2 against SEC teams in four of Louisville’s past five bowl appearances. Given the coaching change and presumably Lamar Jackson’s last game at Louisville, it will be a tall order. Verdict? Hardly important.

South Carolina

Will Muschamp doesn’t want to talk about it, but the program is ahead of schedule in its second season under his leadership. Muschamp is one of five coaches in program history to win eight games in his second season. Only one, Joe Morrison, won more than eight (1984, 10). Of course, this Outback Bowl against Michigan will bring back plenty of memories of Jadeveon Clowney’s bone-crushing hit on Michigan running back Vincent Smith in the 2013 meeting. But because Muschamp has built equity with the program by winning more games than most believed he would by now, he can buy some time if the Gamecocks stub their toe in Tampa, Fla. Verdict? Mildly important.

Credit: Adam Hagy-USA TODAY Sports

Texas A&M

The Aggies are in the midst of turning the page from the Kevin Sumlin era, though a win would be the fourth straight 8-5 season for Texas A&M. A loss here, even against a program like Wake Forest, would be chalked up to the transition from the Sumlin era. Most people are looking ahead to Jimbo Fisher putting his fingerprints on the program in the form of staff hires and recruiting in January. Having said that, the Aggies have lost three of their past five and face a team playing roughly 80 miles from its campus. Could that be why the Las Vegas line slightly favors Wake Forest? Absolutely. This will provide some entertainment over the holiday season, and some Aggie fans can puff their chest over a ninth consecutive bowl trip, the longest streak in school history. But most are interested in what’s next for the program. Verdict? Hardly important.