As the College Football Playoff inched closer this season, the talk of which teams had the best resumes soon filled the debate.
Within the SEC, the West was considered the much better division of the conference, but what do the resumes say? Here are the top five resumes from the SEC this season.
NOTE: Strength of schedule rankings and records vs. top 30 were taken from the Sagarin Rankings.
5. Auburn Tigers
Record: 8-4 (4-4)
Best win: at No. 4 Ole Miss (35-31)
Worst loss: vs. Texas A&M (41-38)
Strength of schedule: 1st
Record vs. Top 30: 4-4
Case for Auburn: With Auburn finishing fourth in the SEC West, one would think the SEC East champion Missouri Tigers would be ahead of Auburn. But with the toughest strength of schedule in all of college football, it’s tough not to include Auburn on this list. Not only did the Tigers secure two big road wins against Kansas State and Ole Miss, but they gave Alabama a tough game. All things considered, Auburn had one of the more impressive resumes in the SEC.
4. Georgia Bulldogs
Record: 9-3 (6-2)
Best win: vs. No. 9 Auburn (34-7)
Worst loss: vs. Florida (38-20)
Strength of schedule: 14th
Record vs. Top 30: 5-2
Case for Georgia: Considering the fact that Georgia’s best player Todd Gurley missed six games this season and the losses the ‘Dawgs sustained prior to the season, UGA’s 2014 season was an impressive feat. The Bulldogs faltered in games where they should have won (see 38-20 loss against Florida) but overall it was a year that included some great moments for UGA. According to the Saragin rankings, UGA went 5-2 against the top 30 and 1-0 against the top-10. UGA’s five wins against the top-30 are the second-most behind Alabama.
3. Ole Miss Rebels
Record: 9-3 (5-3)
Best win: vs. No. 1 Alabama (23-17)
Worst loss: at Arkansas (30-0)
Strength of schedule: 6th
Record vs. Top 30: 4-3
Ole Miss’ case: For a while it looked like Ole Miss may be the best team in the country, but the Rebels finished the season off with a 9-3 record and third in the SEC West. Although they lost three games, the Rebels were competitive in nearly every game with a 30-0 loss against Arkansas as the biggest blemish on their resume. Two of Ole Miss’ losses were by four points and a home win vs. Alabama always looks good.
2. Mississippi State Bulldogs
Record: 10-2 (6-2)
Best win: vs. at No. 8 LSU (34-29)
Worst loss: at No. 19 Ole Miss (31-17)
Strength of schedule: 21st
Record vs. Top 30: 4-2
Mississippi State’s case: Led by quarterback Dak Prescott, the Mississippi State Bulldogs have one of the best (and most surprising) resumes in the SEC. At one point, MSU won three-straight games vs. Top 10-ranked teams and suffered only a five-point road loss to Alabama and a 14-point road loss to Ole Miss. If those are your only low points on the resume, you’re in a good spot.
1. Alabama Crimson Tide
Record: 12-1 (7-1)
Best win: vs. No. 1 Mississippi State (25-20)
Worst loss: at No. 11 Ole Miss (23-17)
Strength of schedule: 4th
Record vs. Top 30: 9-1
Alabama’s case: I mean what is there to say? Alabama is clearly the top team this year with a SEC Championship under its belt and nine wins against the top 30. With two of those wins coming against top-10 teams, it’s easy to see why Alabama is so highly regarded. The Crimson Tide not only won a lot of games, but they often beat some of the best teams in the process. Even in its one loss on the road against Ole Miss, Alabama still had a chance to win it at the end until an interception sealed the victory for the Rebels. There’s no debate — Alabama is the No. 1 team in the SEC and in college football.
Drew Laing will be providing analysis and insight on Florida, Georgia, Missouri and South Carolina.
