I don’t want to hear it.

Motivation shouldn’t be lacking for a single SEC team this bowl season. Not one. Not Auburn, not Georgia, not Kentucky, not LSU, not Mizzou, not Ole Miss, not Tennessee, not Texas A&M.

Oh, and not Alabama. I don’t think I need to explain why a Playoff team should be motivated, so if you seek that, ask a friend.

But for the other 8 SEC teams playing in the postseason, I don’t want to hear motivation as an excuse, no matter the result.

I’m not saying roster depletion isn’t a factor — it’s never been dumber to make sweeping season-long declarations based on non-Playoff bowl game outcomes — or that there’s never been a “lack of motivation” game for SEC teams in bowl games.

I remember talking to someone on the 2013 Alabama team who said he never saw a less motivated team in that 2013 Sugar Bowl post-Kick 6. I believe that. I also believe that LSU having 45 scholarship players in the Texas Bowl would make me question some of the “team-wide” motivation amid a coaching change. And while I would push back on the notion that 2018 Georgia “didn’t care” about the Sugar Bowl after losing the SEC Championship, Texas came out firing in a way that the more-talented Dawgs couldn’t match.

(What I didn’t care for was that dumb steer Bevo going after a beloved Uga that was minding its own business.)

But this year? Nah. Miss me with the motivation thing.

I don’t care that non-Playoff bowl games have never felt less significant because of opt-outs/transfer portal moves/coaching moves. Besides, those rules don’t just apply to SEC teams; they apply to everyone.

So here’s the case-by-case breakdown of why motivation shouldn’t be lacking for the 8 SEC teams in non-Playoff bowl games:

Auburn

The last time that Auburn organized a coup to get a coach fired, it was on the heels of a 6-6 regular season and a bowl game loss to close Year 1. Hugh Freeze is probably above a coup, then again, getting waxed by New Mexico State at home probably wasn’t the type of thing that would stop a coup.

Georgia

Florida State has injuries, opt-outs and transfer portal entries that’ll leave it without at least 4 of its best offensive players. FSU star Jared Verse isn’t playing, either. As disappointed as Georgia was to miss out on the Playoff with a chance to 3-peat, let’s not assume this should be the aforementioned 2018 Sugar Bowl. Kirby Smart has won 6 consecutive bowl games since that debacle, including 2 that weren’t for the Playoff. There’s a reason the Dawgs are 2-touchdown favorites, and that’s without knowing the status of Brock Bowers or Ladd McConkey.

Kentucky

I do not believe in rooting for others to fail. However, I can take enjoyment in seeing certain people unhappy. Kentucky, I’m expecting, will embrace that approach with Dabo Swinney. You should have plenty of Kentucky players trying to help their NFL Draft stocks, most notably stud tailback Ray Davis. Mark Stoops has 1 loss to a non-SEC school in the past 6 seasons and has typically had his team ready to roll for postseason matchups. Plus, Kentucky hit 8 wins just 6 times since the Jimmy Carter administration. Getting that 8th win should matter.

LSU

No Jayden Daniels, no motivation? No way. Garrett Nussmeier is playing, and he has a chance to take control of the starting job after 3 years as a promising backup. Even if LSU gets opt-outs at the receiver spots, there’s still plenty of depth and a young enough offensive line that should have a chance to light the scoreboard up. Plus, Matt House should have all the motivation in the world to field a competent defense to quiet LSU fans who wonder why he still has a job.

Mizzou

This should be the last team that the “motivation” excuse is used on. Mizzou has never played in a BCS/New Year’s 6 bowl, and it’ll do so on the heels of its best season in a decade. Ohio State has opt-outs and transfer portal entries while Mizzou should be relatively close to full strength (it should be slightly healthier on defense than it was late in the season). You’ve got the ultimate team-first guy leading the way in Cody Schrader, plus the dynamic duo of Brady Cook and Luther Burden III are both set to return next season, along with both coordinators. That doesn’t guarantee that Mizzou will beat a talented Ohio State team, but it does explain why it became the favorite after those Buckeyes roster developments poured in.

Ole Miss

For the second time in program history, Ole Miss won 10 regular-season games. The only other instance was 2 years ago, when Ole Miss got to the Sugar Bowl with all the motivation … only to watch Matt Corral go down with an injury in the first quarter. There should be motivation to right that wrong, and for Lane Kiffin, this is about trying to show that you can beat elite teams. He’s 2-21 lifetime against Power 5 teams that won 9 regular-season games (his 2nd such win came against LSU this year). Beating Penn State would give Ole Miss even more momentum after an extremely prolific couple of weeks in the portal.

Tennessee

OK, I can almost understand the lack of motivation here. The Vols’ defense has been hit pretty hard in the transfer portal, especially in the secondary. I do worry about that. But if there’s ever a game where you don’t need a secondary, it’s against 2023 Iowa. The Vols can line up 11 in the box for all I care. Let’s also remember that Joe Milton is trying to give himself a shot at the NFL level. He’d like to showcase some skills against a dominant Iowa defense. Plus, I’m old enough to remember when Vols fans would’ve done anything for consecutive Top-25 finishes. That hangs in the balance in the Citrus Bowl.

Texas A&M

Let’s not pretend that A&M is above going out and picking up win No. 8. And don’t tell me that A&M threw in the towel once Jimbo Fisher was fired. With third-string quarterback Jaylen Henderson, the Aggies went into LSU and gave the Tigers everything they could handle. Elijah Robinson is coaching in the bowl game as an interim coach. That’s huge, especially to help stabilize an inconsistent defense down the stretch. Let’s also remember that while bowl games for teams with fired coaches usually represent a lost season, A&M players have a standalone ESPN game to either boost their stock with the next staff or put out more positive tape for the portal. Both should be motivating factors.

As for whether A&M has a prayer at stopping Oklahoma State All-American Ollie Gordon, well, that’s a different discussion.