SEC Bowl Projections after Week 7
Call me crazy, but I’m starting to think two teams from the SEC West could reach the College Football Playoff this season, especially if LSU finishes 10-1 (the committee will see the canceled McNeese State game as an 11th victory) with a loss to Alabama and doesn’t win the division.
I’m not going to project at the midseason point, however. On the flip side, SEC disaster strikes if LSU beats Alabama then loses the SEC Championship Game to a two-loss East Division winner. Realistically, the league would likely be left out of the final four.
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Florida continues its surge up the bowl pecking order and this week, comes in as the SEC’s ‘first team out’ of the New Year’s Six with a Citrus Bowl invite in Orlando. Organizers would be salivating if they could manage a Gators-Wolverines matchup.
For the time being, LSU and Alabama have flipped spots with the Tigers reaching a semifinal game against Baylor (no longer sold on TCU in that season-ending showdown for the Big 12). When LSU and Alabama meet in a couple of weeks, the world will be watching.
2015 SEC BOWL PROJECTIONS AFTER WEEK 7 (11 invites)
- College Football Playoff Semifinal (Cotton Bowl): LSU vs. Baylor
- New Year’s Six Sugar: Alabama vs. Michigan State
- Citrus: Florida vs. Michigan
- Outback: Texas A&M vs. Iowa
- Music City: Ole Miss vs. Northwestern
- Belk: Tennessee vs. N.C. State
- Liberty: Kentucky vs. Kansas State
- TaxSlayer: Georgia vs. Penn State
- Texas: Auburn vs. West Virginia
- Birmingham: Mississippi State vs. East Carolina
- Independence: Mizzou vs. Virginia Tech
On the outside looking in: Arkansas, South Carolina, Vanderbilt
I think Arkansas has a good shot at a bowl game. They probably lose at Ole Miss and at LSU, but they could win at home against Miss State. That Miss State game will be the decisive game for them, I think.
Maybe. I think Arkansas has as good a shot at beating Ole miss as miss state, homefield advantage notwithstanding.
SEC is a mess. Pretty much like every year. Ole miss looks in control of the season only to drop two they weren’t supposed to. Alabama gives away a game and then starts to look dominant. TAMU played bama tough, and I don’t think an LSU win against them is a given. Ole miss is schizophrenic but when all cylinders are firing could probably win any given game. Arky and Mizzou have their issues, but both are still capable of throwing a wrench into any teams plans.
I think it will come down to LSU vs Bama for the west, but not necessarily the way people imagine. Wouldn’t surprise me if one or both picked up a loss elsewhere along the way. I’m not down on the sec like some are this year though. No clearly dominant team doesn’t mean the division or conference is bad, just more parity. Not sure what the committee would do with that though.
“Ole miss is schizophrenic…” You nailed it!
So in this scenario you must be assuming it’s just a given that Arkansas will beat Auburn and Mizzou???
Those games are not automatic wins. Arky will have to fight for a bowl game. But getting Auburn, Miss State, and Mizzou at home is a help. I singled out Miss State because they seem to be better than Auburn and Mizzou, and I think Arky will be favored at home against both Auburn and Mizzou. They are favored over Auburn.
Need to check your schedule again. Its a Thursday night game in CoMo, not Starkville.
Ignore my comment! Got a little confused.
why don’t they go back to the old names of the bowls?
Be glad they haven’t taken over the names of teams. Imagine the Volvo Volunteers.
Lol.
LSU – Longhorn Steakhouse University Tigers
Auburn – Audi Tigers
Missouri – Monsanto Tigers
Kentucky – Purina Cat Chow Wildcats
Tennessee – Volvo Volunteers
South Carolina – Tyson Chicken Gamecocks
Ole Miss – Old Spice Rebels
Mississippi State – Starbucks Bulldogs (this one was bad, but think Sipping Coffee)
Texas A&M – Winchester Arms & Ammunition
Florida – Colgate Gators (I like this one, sounds similar and teeth need brushing)
Arkansas – Hormel Razorbacks
Georgia – Del Monte (canned Peaches) Bulldogs
Canned peaches??? Are you crazy!!!
Or the Durex Gamecocks
HBCless Gamecocks.
Peach Bowl has come home to its true name!
Florida vs Michigan would be fun. Battle between the two most talked about first year coaches.
I don’t think LSU will lose but one game this year. It will be to the West Div and SEC Champion. I don’t think they will make the final four though they probably should. Stanford comes out the Pac 12 champion. Whatever comes out of the b1g. ND finishes with one loss and then the Clemson – Fl St winner. I didn’t count any little 12, because I don’t think they play football, all though the talking heads and so called experts are giving Baylor a lot of hype for running up the score on a bunch of nobodies. There will be the SEC – Pac 12 – the b1g – the ACC and ND and which ever bIg 12 can garner enough hype to get counted. That’ six possible candidates. With the nationwide hate for the SEC and Bama, that it wouldn’t shock me if we are left out totally. These folks today have no appreciation of football and are looking for nothing more than a Beauty Contestant for a winner.
Alabama and LSU are clearly the best in the SEC and maybe country this year but one will sit home December 5th. Shame.
Way too soon for bowl predictions. The bowl selection will be determined by the games yet to be played. A lot can change.
I know its a lesser bowl game but I really, really REALLY want Tennessee in the Liberty Bowl… I don’t get to make the 6 hour drive to Knoxville much so having a game in Memphis would be amazing.
Warning to Alabama: Michigan State is living on miracles like Auburn did so no field goals with one second left!!!!
haha duly noted. Hard to escape that one.
One of the Power 5 Conferences will be excluded every year from the playoff. It won’t be the Big 12 for two years in a row. So assume TCU or Baylor. A Conference Champ with an undefeated record won’t be excluded. So assume the winner of Ohio STate/ Michigan State goes undefeated. Two open slots remain. Now assume the winner of Clemson/Florida State goes through the season undefeated. Now we’re down to one open slot. If Utah survives and Bama beats LSU, the SEC is left out. SEC fans need to root for Utah to lose and OU/OK State teams like Michigan, Wisconsin, Miami, etc. to play the spoiler role.
Michigan could beat OSU. You could also end up with every team in the ACC with at least one loss if FSU beats Clemson and losses to UF. Every team in the Big 12 could have a loss if Oklahoma beats one of Baylor/TCU and the one who losses to Oklahoma beats the other one. Still too much football to be played to be predicting the SEC getting left out.
If Alabama wins out (to go 12-1) and LSU wins every game except Alabama (to go 11-1) I would think that both teams would be in the top four.
If you can play an SEC West schedule and lose only one game you’re one of the top four teams in the country. Would Baylor, TCU, Ohio St, Clemson, or Utah go 11-1 playing in the SEC West? I somehow doubt it.
I agree. But if LSU loses to Bama and then wins out they will be 10-1. Their first game got cancelled. Dont think it would matter since it was just McNeese St. LSU wouldve won anyhow but you never know how the Playoff Comittee will look at it.