SEC Bowl Projections after Week 5: New Playoff opponents for Alabama, Georgia

The SEC has not had a major shakeup in the past couple of weeks, so neither has our bowl projections.

Florida flips to the Belk and Mississippi State to the Liberty in this week’s list after the Gators defeated the Bulldogs in Dan Mullen’s return to Starkville. But technically this is a lateral move (get it?) because the SEC considers bowl 3-8 in the pecking order — Belk, Liberty, Music City, Outback, TaxSlayer and Texas — to be equal.

There is something of a shakeup in opponents for major bowls.

Alabama and Georgia fans will note that their teams have different matchups after Ohio State won at Penn State on Saturday night. The Crimson Tide are now slated to face the Buckeyes in one College Football Playoff semifinal and UGA is now looking at Clemson. Yes, Clemson is shaky depending on the health status of starting quarterback Trevor Lawrence after he left Saturday’s tight win over Syracuse with a head injury.

Oklahoma and Notre Dame are knocking on the door of the CFP, and of course don’t forget LSU.

Further down, nothing has made me think that Tennessee, Arkansas or Vanderbilt will rise up and fill a spot, which still leaves the SEC’s bids to the Birmingham Bowl and Independence Bowl vacant.

On to the projections: