Since the College Football Playoff was introduced in 2014, at least one SEC team has made the final four every year. Fans and media members often debate whether the SEC can get two teams into the CFP.

Erick Smith of USA TODAY thinks the SEC will send two teams to the Playoff this season. After Saturday’s games, Smith has elevated Florida from his preseason projection of an at-large New Year’s Six (Peach Bowl) appearance to the Rose Bowl as one of the four Playoff teams.

“The Gators look poised to pass Georgia in the SEC East and face what now appears to be manageable games against Texas A&M and LSU from the West,” Smith writes. “If they finish 10-1 with a loss in the SEC title game, their case will be favorable compared to a less-than-stellar Big 12 winner or a Pac-12 champion that played a less-challenging schedule. That debate would be an appropriate way to end what has been a chaotic 2020.”

Smith is only projecting select bowl games due to uncertainty surrounding the postseason. Outside of the NY6, he also projected the Citrus, Outback, Texas and Music City bowl games. Auburn is curiously snubbed from those projections despite the Tigers’ Week 1 win and disappointing performances from LSU and Texas A&M.

Here are the updated SEC bowl projections from USA TODAY:

Alabama

  • Sugar Bowl vs. Clemson (CFP semifinal)
  • CFP title game vs. Ohio State

Florida

  • Rose Bowl (CFP semifinal) vs. Ohio State

Georgia

  • Orange Bowl vs. Notre Dame

LSU

  • Texas Bowl vs. Iowa State

Mississippi State

  • Music City Bowl vs. Iowa

Tennessee

  • Citrus Bowl vs. Michigan

Texas A&M

  • Outback Bowl vs. Minnesota