SEC Football: Alabama, Georgia could both make College Football Playoff
It’s college football, and its unpredictability is part of what makes it special. Yet I can’t find any arguments why the SEC might be the first two-bid conference in the CFP.
For those of you that read my columns, you know that I’m not an SEC fan, but I can’t think of any two college football teams right now that are playing at the level that Georgia and Alabama are. Outside of Alabama, name three teams that are better than Georgia.
*crickets*
There isn’t anyone in the ACC (unfortunately), the Big Ten or the Big 12 that could possibly keep up. And the Pac-12? Please. I’ve seen better offensive lines on Pop Warner teams. The Pac-12 and the ACC are in upheaval right now in light of a slew of upsets last weekend that brought down four top 10 teams.
Nobody with any common sense or an inkling of knowledge about college football is surprised to see Alabama at this place in midseason, but Georgia has been a rags-to-riches story.
OK, I say “rags to riches”. Georgia was 8-5 in 2016. This record is a reputable season for most teams, but for the SEC it’s like getting a Ford Focus when you were expecting a Ferrari. It gets the job done, but it’s not as pretty.
Regardless, Alabama is on an inexorable march to its fourth CFP appearance. Even in the mighty SEC, there are no road bumps in their way. If UGA continues on their charmed season, they could have the same 12-0 record as Alabama going into the SEC Championship Game. This hasn’t been an issue for the ‘Tide in recent years. The last two years, they played a sloppy Florida team for the championship and defeated them without even breaking a sweat.
The SEC championship game will be the only test for the Crimson Tide, and if the game is a close one, it would be punitive for the committee to leave out either team — no matter who wins. The rest of the SEC isn’t great, I’ll grant you, but UGA and Alabama’s records thus far this year have been unimpeachable. The two teams combined have outscored their opponents by 383-76. Crikey. Those are like basketball scores.
Next: NFL Mock Draft 2018: Complete first round after Week 7
There is still a great deal of football left to play, and the capricious nature of the sport could mean I will look like a fool in a few weeks. Right now, though, there are no arguments against the SEC having two teams up for the CFP. If that is the case, this could be one of the best rematches since the 2012 BCS LSU-Bama grudge match championship game.