LSU is the clear No. 4 team in the SEC after a statement win over Ole Miss Saturday. The Tigers have 1 difficult matchup remaining on the schedule and are gunning for a solid 9-3 start to the Brian Kelly era in Baton Rogue.
Alabama reaffirmed itself with a ho-hum drubbing of No. 24 Mississippi State heading into the bye week. The Tide’s matchup with LSU in 2 weeks will likely determine who goes to Atlanta to face either Georgia or Tennessee. Alabama is still well within contention for the College Football Playoff, of course, but has to be behind both the Vols and Bulldogs for now. The Tide’s path is right there in front of them, though: Simply win the SEC.
Georgia and Tennessee stayed put in the Playoff projections after a bye week from the Bulldogs and a 65-24 win against UT Martin for Tennessee. The Skyhawks scored 17 of their 24 points against Tennessee’s 3rd- and 4th-stringers.
Ole Miss did not look good past the first couple of possessions against LSU, but a strongly favored schedule (aside from Alabama) should still hand the Rebels 9 or 10 wins.
A couple of teams will be squeaking into a bowl bid all because of South Carolina’s hot streak. The Gamecocks have won 4 in a row, knocking off Texas A&M Saturday night with Florida still to go. The Gators need 2 wins from their remaining schedule of Georgia, Texas A&M, South Carolina, Vanderbilt and Florida State.
Best-case scenario for the Gators appears to be 7-5, but Florida State won’t be a walk in the park in Tallahassee. Between the Seminoles, Texas A&M (at Kyle Field) and South Carolina, let’s assume they’ll nab at least 1 victory alongside beating Vanderbilt.
That Texas A&M vs. Florida matchup will be key for a bowl bid. Florida would like a win there, but the Aggies will require it after falling to 3-4 with the loss to the Gamecocks.
The SEC bowl lineup is similar to that of last season’s. The Las Vegas Bowl will replace the Duke’s Mayo Bowl in its rotation between B1G and SEC. If the ReliaQuest Bowl sounds unfamiliar, it’s because it changed its branding from the Outback Bowl.
As usual, the Sugar Bowl and Orange Bowl have an SEC tie-in because they are not hosting this season’s College Football Playoff. Those distinctions go to the Peach Bowl and the Fiesta Bowl.
Here it is in all its glory: SEC Bowl predictions following Week 8 action.
SEC college football bowl projections following Week 8
Peach Bowl (Playoff semifinal): Tennessee vs. Georgia
Fiesta Bowl (Playoff semifinal): Ohio State vs. Clemson
Sugar: Alabama vs. TCU
Citrus: LSU vs. Illinois
ReliaQuest: Ole Miss vs. NC State
Music City: Kentucky vs. Maryland
Gator: Mississippi State vs. Florida State
Liberty: South Carolina vs. Kansas State
Las Vegas: Arkansas vs. Washington
Texas: Texas A&M vs. Baylor
Birmingham: Florida vs. Coastal Carolina
Ethan Stone is a Tennessee graduate and loves all things college football and college basketball. Firm believer in fouling while up 3.
