ESPN football analyst Dan Orlovsky is never shy about his opinions, and he wasn’t afraid to ruffle a few SEC fans’ feathers on Monday morning.
During a segment on First Take, Orlovsky was asked if the SEC would get the most teams into the College Football Playoff in 2025.
“I don’t think they do,” shot back Orlovsky, causing a reaction in the studio that probably doesn’t hold a candle to the reaction in the homes of many SEC fans.
Instead of choosing the mighty SEC as his conference to put the most teams in the Playoff, Orlovsky went with the now-mighty conference that has produced the past 2 national champions. Michigan won it all in 2023, then rival Ohio State took center stage last season and captured the national title. That’s 2 straight years where the Big Ten has worn the crown, not the SEC, and Orlovsky believes the Big Ten will have a great shot to get a 3-peat in 2025.
“I think the Big Ten has the most CFP teams. I think that there’s 5 teams from the Big Ten that I feel very confidently in making it,” said Orlovsky.
Those 5 teams from the Big Ten that Orlovsky feels good about are Penn State, Ohio State, Oregon, Illinois and either Indiana or Michigan. So, if the Big Ten is getting 5 teams in the Playoff in 2025, what about the SEC?
Orlovsky sees 4 SEC teams getting in, with his list headlined by Georgia, with Texas and LSU also included, and “probably Alabama.” He also made sure to mention South Carolina as a Playoff wild card.
“I think that the Big Ten could squeak out and have 1 more (Playoff team),” said Orlovsky.
So, for Orlovsky, the July scoreboard when it comes to Playoff teams reads: Big Ten 5, SEC 4. For now, the latest odds to reach the College Football Playoff produced by FanDuel are headlined by SEC and Big Ten teams, but the fall months will determine if Orlovsky is even close to being right, and we’ll know in December just how on target he was or not.
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
