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Bowl success could bring the SEC a national title and six teams in Top 25
By John Brasier
Published:
The bowl season provides a final chance at redemption for the SEC, which suffered a series of humbling, non-conference defeats — and close calls — during the regular season.
Only four SEC teams were included in the last AP Top 25 and two of those, Florida and LSU, plummeted toward the bottom with late-season skids. That’s a far cry from where the conference opened the season — eight Top 25 teams and 10 in the top 27.
While it’s up to Alabama to give the conference national championship bragging rights, eight of the SEC’s 10 bowl teams are favored in their matchups.
With victories, No. 2 Alabama, No. 16 Ole Miss, No. 19 Florida and No. 22 LSU can climb in the rankings. Georgia and Tennessee are in position to leap into the Top 25.
Arkansas and Texas A&M, which had an outside chance prior to the bowls, would need spectacular performances now that Utah, Navy and Western Kentucky — teams near the bottom of the Top 25 — have won.
No. 24 Temple’s loss to Toledo provided the only help so far. Teams the SEC needs to lose this week include No. 18 Baylor and No. 23 Wisconsin. No. 14 Houston may be ranked too high to fall from the Top 25 with a loss.
Here’s a best case scenario for the SEC:
Alabama wins the national title: The Crimson Tide must beat Michigan State in the Cotton Bowl and the Oklahoma-Clemson winner in the championship game.
Ole Miss climbs to No. 12: With a victory over No. 13 Oklahoma State in the Sugar Bowl, Ole Miss could get there with losses by No. 10 North Carolina, No. 12 Northwestern and No. 14 Houston. Tennessee would supply some of the help by beating Northwestern in the Outback Bowl.
Florida rises to No. 16: A victory over Michigan in the Citrus Bowl would be impressive. But with three losses, including two straight entering the bowl game, the Gators can’t climb much higher.
LSU reaches the top 20: The Tigers could put up a staggering offensive display against Texas Tech in the Texas Bowl, but they don’t have much place to go. They would pass the North Carolina-Baylor loser and the Florida-Michigan loser. That’s about it.
Tennessee jumps into the Top 25: Playing Northwestern, the Volunteers are in position to make the biggest leap. No. 29 in the final regular-season poll, the Vols are on a five-game winning streak and their credibility was boosted by a top 25 spot in the College Football Playoff committee’s final rankings. A victory over the Wildcats might convince several voters to reassess their placement of the Vols, who could jump over No. 26 Georgia, which it defeated during the regular season.
Georgia cracks the Top 25: With Temple’s loss, there’s already room for the Bulldogs, No. 26 in the latest rankings. Playing with a transitional coaching staff, Georgia’s readiness for the TaxSlayer Bowl is suspect. The Bulldogs should beat Penn State, though a victory over the Nittany Lions won’t move the needle much.
