CBS Sports updates SEC bowl projections after Week 6
Alabama’s Week 6 loss to Texas A&M has shaken up the 2021 postseason picture.
CBS Sports expert Jerry Palm is among the analysts who no longer have Nick Saban’s squad making the College Football Playoff. While the Crimson Tide still controls its destiny in the SEC West, a trip to the SEC Championship Game means a potential showdown with No. 1 Georgia. After Week 6, Palm is projecting Kirby Smart’s Bulldogs as the only SEC team to make the CFP field of 4. Palm has UA as the only SEC team in a non-Playoff New Year’s Six bowl game.
Here are Palm’s full SEC projections:
Alabama
Sugar Bowl (NY6) vs. Texas
Arkansas
Outback Bowl vs. Nebraska
Auburn
Duke’s May Bowl vs. Virginia Tech
Florida
Gator Bowl vs. Pittsburgh
Georgia
Orange Bowl (CFP Semifinal) vs. Cincinnati
Kentucky
Citrus Bowl vs. Michigan State
Mississippi State
Birmingham Bowl vs. Western Michigan
Missouri
Quick Lane Bowl vs. Northern Illinois
Ole Miss
Music City Bowl vs. Minnesota
Tennessee
Liberty Bowl vs. Iowa State
Texas A&M
Texas Bowl vs. Baylor
If we finish 10-2 and get the Citrus Bowl I’m done with CFB
Idk why they are being so conservative with the NY6 bowl predictions. In 2 of the last 3 season, the SEC has had 1 playoff team and 3 NY6 teams. In 2018 Alabama was in the cfp, Florida, UGA, and LSU were in NY6. In 2020 Bama was in the cfp, Florida, UGA, and TAMU were in the NY6. Not to mention that in 2019 LSU was in the playoff, and both UGA and Florida were in the NY6. SEC has always had multiple teams in the NY6 I don’t see how that’s changing this year.
My personal prediction:
UGA (playoff)
Alabama (NY6)
Florida (NY6)
Ole Miss or Kentucky (NY6)
I think Kentucky will lose the Tennessee game and I don’t think it’ll be close against UGA while I believe Florida will be the toughest game UGA has had all year. That along with Kentucky having the more recent loss to UT by the end of the year and Florida having the brand name will result in Florida getting a higher CFP ranking and thereby a NY6 invitation over Kentucky.
This also happened in 2018 when Kentucky had the same record as Florida and had beat them but Florida made the Peach Bowl and Kentucky was relegated to the Citrus Bowl (likely cause of brand name and Kentucky having a more recent loss that season too).
Florida’s finished if we drop another game other than UGA though so Kentucky still has a very good chance. And if Ole Miss loses to Tennessee and let’s say drops another game to Auburn, Miss State, or TAMU or maybe even 2 other games (which is very possible with the high risk offense that Lane runs) then I think Kentucky is a lock for a NY6.
Kentucky can only lose the UGA and UT games unfortunately Kentucky is still “Kentucky” in the minds of many even if Kentucky as a football program is operating at a very high level so Kentucky absolutely needs to finish the regular season at least 10-2 in order to have a shot at getting a NY6 invitation.
My thoughts exactly
More fuel to the fire for this weekend. There’s no way I’m going to see Auburn play in a nasty mayonnaise bowl. Come on Tigers!
Texas in the Sugar bowl?? Palm is off his rocker even more than usual.