Georgia Has No Shot Against LSU in the SEC Title Game

Photo retrieved from The Athletic

Somehow, rivalry week is already here.

I often decry our obsession with college football, mostly because we put a lot of time and emotion into a season that is painfully short. 12 games spread out over 14 or so weeks doesn’t feel like enough time for something we spend an entire calendar year obsessing over, but maybe that’s why we love it so much. There’s just not enough of it to really get spoiled, unlike the prolonged seasons of the NBA, NHL and MLB and other sports.

1. LSU

LSU is the best team in the county, Joe Burrow has locked up the Heisman trophy, and unless they find a way to lose this week and next, the Tigers are in the Playoff.

2. Ohio State

LSU has been the best team in the county all-season long, but the Buckeyes have been the most dominant. They finally came up against a team that had similar athletes against Penn State, but the Buckeyes had a few more. Chase Young was unstoppable, and should have cemented at least an invite to New York. We can talk about Michigan later….

3. Clemson

The Tigers are good. They are kind. They are important.

And they’ll get to beat up on either Virgina or Virgina Tech next week as a final tune up for the playoff. Can anyone remember an undefeated regular season as uninspiring as the one Clemson is putting together? (Ummmm, I can….)

4. Georgia

5. Alabama

Georgia should handle Georgia Tech fairly easily, even with their anemic offense in tow. Good luck with Joe Burrow, next week!

Before Tua got hurt, the SEC’s shot at two teams in the playoff seemed to largely depend on the teams within the conference and their body of work. Now, I’m not so sure. LSU could lose to Georgia in the SEC Title Game and still be in. Georgia, on the other hand, has to beat LSU (and Georgia Tech this weekend.) Alabama has to beat Auburn (no small task) and then have LSU beat Georgia. (Very plausible indeed)

The tricky part is the team’s behind them. A healthy Tua would have provided the excuse needed to include Alabama in the sports biggest money grabbing stage. Now that the Tide’s star is out, however, including Bama at the expense of a 12-1, conference champion Utah, Oklahoma or Baylor becomes increasingly difficult. That, and even with my unfettered adoration for Nick Saban totally in hand, Alabama’s non-conference schedule simply would not justify their inclusion over a one-loss, Power 5 champion.

All that to say, the Tide could render this an incredibly moot point by putting on a performance for the ages this Saturday in the Iron Bowl. If Mac Jones looks like the second coming of A.J. McCarron and Alabama can win with impressive style and grace, maybe the committee will have all the ammunition it needs to do what we all know they really want to anyway.

6. Utah

Thanks, Utah, for caring enough about all of us to hold up your end of the epic Pac 12 title game for the ages bash. (And for keeping one of my preseason playoff picks alive!) The Utes wrap their regular season at home against Colorado, and surprisingly still haven’t clinched a spot in the Pac 12 title game. A loss on Saturday would leave them tied at the top of the Pac-12 South and send USC to Santa Clara. Still a lot to play for in Salt Lake. To that end, I’m going to miss watching the country’s most underappreciaed QB in Tyler Huntley. At this point, it’s like Sade says…. Cherish the Day.

7. Minnesota

One of the greatest season’s in school history could be capped off this weekend with a win over rival Wisconsin. I like P.J. Fleck and love what he’s building in Minnesota. The administration has committed to improving facilities and investment, and the state’s population continues to grow in a way that will lend itself to even more local recruiting talent. To that end, this is the kind of game the Gophers need to win to show they have really arrived. That, and I think Minnesota just has more athletes than Wisconsin, which will be good for all of us from an entertainment perspective when the Big Ten Title Game kicks off. (We don’t need Wisconsin giving us another 59-0 stinker.)

8. Oklahoma

9. Baylor

Baylor will get a chance to avenge their Falcons-esque collapse in the Big 12 title game next weekend, and the conference’s hope of having a team in the playoff is still alive, though contingent on so many factors. The first of those factors include both Oklahoma and Baylor handling business this weekend, which is no small task for either. Yes, the Bears should go on the road and beat Kansas, but I would not count out Les Miles’ crew on the final weekend of a foundation building season.

The Sooners?

Bedlam.

On the road……

10. Penn State

11. Wisconsin

12. Michigan

The Nittany Lions are the best team in this bunch, they just had the misfortunate of getting a schedule that included Minnesota and Ohio State away from home in the span of three weeks. Wisconsin could earn a right to get exposed by the Buckeyes next weekend by beating the Gophers on Saturday. Meanwhile, Jim Harbaugh makes yet another attempt at finally winning the only game that truly matters. My prediction? Penn State has Rutgers this weekend – that’s the only team in this batch I see winning.

13. Florida

14. Oregon

Is there such thing as college football purgatory, where you have 10-win seasons fairly often but never actually contend for a conference championship in that span, let alone a national title? If there isn’t one, I am creating it, and the Florida Gators are the leaders. They’ll wrap up the regular season this weekend with a 10-2 record, and a likely trip to a New Year’s Six bowl game. Is that the new ceiling in Gainesville?

The Ducks blew it, and there’s really no nice bow to put on that. A match-up in the Pac 12 title game between 11-1 Utah and 11-1 Oregon would have surely meant a showtime clash for a playoff berth, and one the conference desperately needed. Now, the Ducks are left needing to refocus in advance of the Civil War before turning their eyes to the conference’s southern patron. It’s a shame, really.

15. Memphis

16. Cincinatti

Cincinnati clinched the AAC East last week in ugly fashion with a home win over Temple. Memphis, on the other hand, still has quite a bit of work to do, as Navy sit right on their tails in the AAC West. A Tigers win this weekend will set-up a rematch between the two next week in the AAC Title Game, which will almost surely determine the Group of 5 New Year’s Six Bowl participant. I give the slight edge to Memphis because of the luxury of hosting the Bearcats.

Next Four Up: Auburn, Notre Dame, Appalachian State, Iowa