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Paul Finebaum, Heather Dinich set number of SEC teams to make 12-team Playoff
By Paul Harvey
Published:
Paul Finebaum and Heather Dinich are tuned into college football and are ready to set what they believe will be the final number of SEC teams to reach the College Football Playoff. And for many, the number will be disappointing.
On Tuesday’s broadcast of ESPN’s “Get Up,” both analysts were asked if they believe the SEC will get 4 (or more) teams in the final 12-team field. Dinich went first and said her projection falls shy of 4 SEC teams.
“Don’t believe it,” said Dinich. “I have 3 SEC teams in my current bracket and that’s Texas, Georgia and Tennessee. Alabama and Ole Miss are out after their losses, but it’s possible they could work their way back in.”
Dinich did clarify a distinction that Alabama is currently her No. 12 team in the rankings. However, the final bracket will need to account for the 5th-highest-ranked conference champion.
“Arizona State, you’ll see the 12-seed (in my bracket projection), bumps out Alabama,” Dinich admitted. “I had Alabama as my No. 12 ranked team, but they would get bumped out for the 5th-ranked conference champion which, crazy, would be Arizona State.”
Meanwhile, Finebaum simply admitted that the SEC will take a hit this season with the late-year performances of some of the key contenders:
“The number is 3 Greenie because Alabama, in my mind, played its way out. Ole Miss did the same thing,” said Finebaum. “You can argue how great the league is, and I do that on a daily basis, but this time around, the SEC is going to take a hit.”
We’ll find out how clear the picture is for Rivalry Week when the latest CFP rankings are dropped Tuesday night.
Paul Harvey lives in Atlanta and covers SEC football.
