ESPN analyst names 2 SEC teams who are currently playing like ‘national champion’ contenders
By Rolando Rosa
Published:
Going into Week 10, the SEC appears well-positioned to have a slew of teams in the College Football Playoff. ESPN analyst Bill Connelly also believes a pair of SEC squads have a legitimate shot at winning the national title.
Connelly is high on No. 3 Texas A&M and No. 4 Alabama as surefire contenders to rise to the top of the college football mountain this season. This weekend, Texas A&M defeated host LSU 49-25 and Alabama earned a 29-22 road victory at South Carolina.
Connelly is confident about Texas A&M because of its strong second half to pull away from LSU.
In Friday’s preview, I wrote, “If the Aggies overcome this team and this environment, they are legit SEC, and potentially national title, contenders.” I don’t know about you, but I think going on a 35-0 run over about 24 minutes in the second half and turning a nip-and-tuck game into a 24-point laugher counts as “overcoming” LSU and Tiger Stadium.
Meanwhile, Connelly thinks that Alabama has the intangibles to pull out close contests, a trait that reminds him of head coach Kalen DeBoer’s time at his former program Washington.
Barely beating a two-touchdown underdog is a weird way of getting onto a “playing like a national champion” list, but I’m struggling to avoid feelings of inevitability here, both because of how many times in a row the Crimson Tide have made the exact plays they needed to make in the fourth quarter and because Kalen DeBoer’s Washington Huskies basically did the exact same thing two years ago on the way to the national title game.
In addition to Texas A&M and Alabama, Connelly also lists Ohio State and Indiana as surefire national title contenders at this point in the season.
Next up for Texas A&M after a bye is a road game at No. 19 Missouri on Nov. 8. Alabama is also on a bye and will host LSU on Nov. 8.
