Predicting the SEC's post-championship week headlines
With the SEC title game upon us, only two of the SEC’s 14 teams are in action this weekend, as No. 1 Alabama and No. 16 Missouri battle in the Georgia Dome for the conference championship. News is still coming fast and furious, and there will be plenty to talk about come Monday. Here’s what we think the headlines will be.
Amari Cooper earns a Heisman invite. This won’t be a shocker, as Cooper has been the best player in the SEC this season, regardless of position. He’s a long shot to win the award, with oddsmakers not even listing him after Marcus Mariota and Melvin Gordon, but he’ll be the first receiver to earn an invite to the ceremony in a decade.
Will Muschamp remains a free agent. Rumors are flying all over the place about the former Florida head coach: that he’s deep into negotiations with Auburn, that he’s already accepted a job at South Carolina. Muschamp said he’d take plenty of time before deciding what his next move will be, and there’s no reason not to believe him. He’ll keep all of his suitors waiting at least through the weekend, and possibly longer.
Alabama draws Florida State in the semifinals. The Crimson Tide are heavily favored to get past Missouri on Saturday, and when they do the College Football Playoff committee will give the country the matchup that everyone wants to see. Florida State has been Rodney Dangerfield all season, talking about a lack of respect. The committee will give them a chance to earn it, matching the Crimson Tide and Seminoles in a 1 vs. 4 matchup for the ages, and Nick Saban will get a chance to end former assistant Jimbo Fisher’s team’s winning streak.
Both Mississippi teams earn New Year’s Six bowl invites. The CFP committee doesn’t just determine the four-team playoff field, but also the New Year’s Six bowl. While neither Mississippi State or Ole Miss ended up in the playoff field, both still had strong enough seasons to warrant inclusion in the New Year’s Day bowl games. The Cotton and Orange Bowls seem like the best landing spots for the two upstart teams.