Cam Newton: 3-loss SEC teams deserve CFP more than 1-loss teams from other leagues
By Jacob Moss
Published:
One of the more heated debates in all of college football in recent years has revolved around which conference is the most difficult to play in, and what impact that perceived level of difficulty should end up having on any given team’s chances at making the College Football Playoff.
With the 12-team playoff now in place, many have begun to argue that squads with 2 or even 3 losses on the record should be allowed into the dance over teams with more wins because of the level of competition each respective team faces in their conference.
Former Auburn quarterback Cam Newton became the latest to chime in on this debate during Friday’s episode of First Take. He took the conversation a step further, though, saying that he’d put a 3-loss SEC team in over a 1-loss team from other conferences because of how competitive the SEC is.
“We have to start putting more of an emphasis on strength of schedule,” Newton said. “It’s so disappointing when you see a team that has not played the same level of talent, and I know it’s against them. Those types of things are inserted years in advance, but those are the things you have to consider. I would take a 3-loss SEC team before I ever take a 2-loss or even a 1-loss team from some other conference.”
Last year, 3-loss SEC teams in Alabama, Ole Miss, and South Carolina were excluded from the field in favor of 1-loss Indiana and 2-loss SMU. Both lost by double-digits in the first round of the Playoff.
This season, the SEC already has 3 teams with multiple losses before the start of November. Six other SEC programs are 6-1 on the season, and Saturday’s slate of Week 9 games includes 4 of those teams playing each other.
