An Iron Bowl national title game? Mock CFP selection committee places Auburn, Alabama in 2013 semifinals
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Last year’s College Football Playoff produced an all-SEC national championship game.
Had the format been adopted one year earlier, its first edition might have done the same.
A mock CFP selection committee featuring 13 media members placed two SEC teams in the 2013 semifinals, according to a tweet from SEC Network analyst Cole Cubelic, who participated in the exercise. The panel ranked Auburn No. 2 and Alabama No. 4, setting up a potential title game rematch a little more than a month after the famous “Kick Six” game between the SEC West rivals.
Our mock selection committee had Auburn & Alabama in the 2013 @CFBPlayoff pic.twitter.com/nHfMdwv3ah
— Cole Cubelic (@colecubelic) October 10, 2018
But 2013 was the final season of the BCS, which staged a terrific national championship game in which No. 2 Auburn narrowly lost to No. 1 Florida State. No. 3 Alabama was sent to the Sugar Bowl, where it was stunned by No. 11 Oklahoma, 45-31.
What’s also interesting about this 2013 simulation is that two other SEC schools would’ve gotten to participate in New Year’s Six bowls. SEC East champion and No. 9 Missouri would’ve been paired with Oklahoma State in the Peach Bowl, while No. 8 South Carolia would’ve taken on Baylor in the Sugar Bowl.
Though the 2013 title game was great in its own right, it’s a shame we didn’t get a rematch of one of the most iconic Iron Bowls ever.
Marcus covers SEC football for Saturday Down South.
