The SEC has seen its top-10 stock drop from five to three teams. And the Big 12 has replaced it in the national spotlight.
But the SEC still has its goals intact as the college football season heads into its final month. It can qualify a team for the national championship game, put two teams in BCS bowls and fulfill all of its bowl opportunities.
Alabama is unbeaten and ranked second nationally, and the winner of Saturday's Florida-Georgia game also might have a shot at the national championship. And none of the SEC's 12 teams has been mathematically eliminated from bowl contention.
Qualifying for the national championship game in Miami obviously will be more difficult than putting nine teams in bowls. At least, Alabama doesn't have to concern itself with what anyone else does.
Unbeaten Penn State gained more credibility with its victory over Ohio State on Saturday night. But if Texas and Alabama win out, you couldn't possibly justify ranking the Nittany Lions ahead of them.
Never mind all the sentiment for coach Joe Paterno. Even if he were 100 years old, there wouldn't be sufficient sentiment to put Penn State ahead of unbeaten Texas or Alabama. Sentiment couldn't overcome strength of schedule.
Penn State doesn't have another top-10 opponent on its schedule. And it can't beat Iowa, Indiana and Michigan State badly enough to surpass Texas or Alabama if those teams also are unbeaten.
Texas will play unbeaten Texas Tech on Saturday and likely would play another nationally ranked team in the Big 12 championship game. Alabama must play 15th-ranked LSU and could play a top-five Florida or Georgia in the SEC championship game.
In fact, you could argue that a one-loss Georgia or Florida team would be more deserving of a berth in the national championship game than an unbeaten Penn State team would.
Penn State appears to have a complete team, but you can't ignore the Big Ten's performance in the last two national championship games. It's guilt by association.
Two years ago, an unbeaten Ohio State team was beaten handily in the national championship game by a one-loss Florida team. Last year, a one-loss Ohio State team was beaten decisively in the national championship game by a two-loss LSU team.
Forget last year. Look at this year's schedule.
Aside from its victory over Ohio State, Penn State hasn't beaten another team that is ranked in the top 25. And it has beaten only one other team, Oregon State (5-3), with a winning record.
Contrast that with Florida and Georgia, each of whom has a chance to make a powerful impression in the last month of the season. If one of them wins out, no other one-loss team would have accomplished more.
Florida already has beaten 15th ranked LSU by 30 points and could add victories over top-10 Georgia and Alabama. If Florida State (6-1) keeps winning, the Gators would have an opportunity to beat another nationally ranked team.
Georgia also has a victory over LSU, and a chance to beat Florida and win a rematch against Alabama.
A one-loss SEC team might not have to beat out Penn State to reach the national championship game. Suppose Texas finished the regular season unbeaten but lost in the Big 12 championship game, which has a history of big upsets.
Twice in the last five years, a No. 1-ranked team has lost by three touchdowns or more in the Big 12 championship game. Second- and third-ranked teams also have been upset in the Big 12 championship game.
Alabama doesn't have to worry about that. It just has to take care of business.
If it does, the SEC will put a team in the national championship game for the third consecutive year.
Sports editor John Adams may be reached at 865-342-6284 or adamsj@knoxnews.com.
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Comments » 21
tenuscvol writes:
Alabama will not win out...IMHO
I will pull for Florida to beat Georgia but then again it's always hard to beat a team twice in the same season but I would be concerned that Alabama could beat Georgia again if the dogs decided to lay an egg. I can't see Bama beating Florida. I hope LSU can take care of them but after last week I'm not so sure.
Bama Sucks!
GoVols!
tnmantravel#531151 writes:
bla bla bla....Vols are not in it :-(
CoverOrange writes:
I hope Texas, Bama, and Penn St go undefeated and it'll the Big10's turn to cry about being left out. Then maybe the drums will beat louder for a playoff.
WeLoveTennesseeVols writes:
Penn State unbeaten, Alabama loses one or two games. Florida wins the rest. Texas loses this week. OK Looks like Texas and ??? But remember 1998. Miami over UCLA?? We've had some wonderful windups to the seasons haven't we since the BCS has been put into place. What a system. It certainly hasn't offended me. I have been right into it until the very end. What excitement. This is much better than a playoff, for sure. Not fair of course, but who says life is fair. Look at the people who died to make us free, and where are they now? And what are we doing with our freedom ? JOHN ADAMS HALLOWEEN IS COMING UP, WHAT WILL YOU BE DRESSED AS? YOURSELF????
mpm80#1357758 writes:
ive always been a vol fan 1st sec fan 2nd i pull for and enjoy seeing sec teams beat up big 10 teams esp. ohio st. and michigan the troy - michigan game was great lol but i have to say the big 12 looks great this year - just so a southern team wins the nc ill be ok
GreerVol22 writes:
Adams...in great shape to voice his man crush on Saban.
volroadwarrior writes:
Wouldn't it be funny if Auburn upset bammer?
dqnapier#225584 writes:
Great point TurboFan. The Big Ten Commissioner, Jim Delaney, is the biggest blocker of a playoff because he knows the current system is the only chance the Little 11 has of making the title game. We need this scenario (Penn St. being left out) to happen several times to possibly change his mind.
pdhuff#552644 writes:
Sawing on the limb. Ga wins over Fla Sat.
Anyone else care to go on record?
ETNTigerFan writes:
I wonder if this will put more pressure on the "Big Tenleven" to add another team to have a 12 team conference to have a championship game. If I were them I'd say to heck with Notre Dame and go after another school for the 12th spot. Missouri, WV, Pitt, Rutgers, etc.
Thoughts??
Docrok writes:
I am sorrry PD I think Fla wins this game, and I think they win the SEC this year. I hate to say it because I would rather they didnt but I just think their momentum is building
volnbig11land writes:
hahahaha, all I can say is I REALLY hope the big11 gets the short end someway, somehow.
I live amongst the suckeye faithful and it is especially pleasant when "the" obnoxious state u gets beat or, when the big11 has something happen they don't like.
Even with our terrible season I can at least get a little satisfaction of watching the big11 suffer along....
HotlantaVol writes:
Georgia has been looking good lately. UGA by 3 this weekend. Meyer throws at least one tantrum.
Missouri doesn't leave Big 12. Rutgers doesn't have enough success in its history to be a good Big 10 school. Instead they should look at a Louisville, WV, or Pitt to round out their 12. Then they will have to rename themselves. Here are some possibilities:
Big Cry Babies
Dip$#!t Dozen
Great Lakes Losers
Big North Nincompoops
jasonn1970 writes:
Even though it would be unfortunate for JoePa I also think it would be good for college football if Penn State got left out of the national title game. The Big 10 and Pac 10 are really all that's blocking playoffs. And the SEC and Big 12 appear to easily be the best conferences. (At least the Big 12 seems to have passed the Pac 10 this year for sure)
And put me on record as saying Georgia beats Florida again this year. Florida will be very motivated. But when Georgia is on they are a very good football team.
ETNTigerFan writes:
I believe it was the Big 10 commisioner last year that said that they would not rule out Rutger as a possible school for expansion if ND chose to renew their lucrative contract with NBC. Of course that was after Rutger's one successful season. I doubt that offer still stands.
Tenn_Dawg writes:
Pdhuff......I hope you are right. It should be a good game. Hopefully the Dawgs will be able to keep those speadsters under wraps.
Until a Southern Cal, Michigan, Ohio State or Penn State gets left out of the MNC then nothing will change. Penn State should run the table with that weak schedule and will have beaten really no one. If Bama runs the table its reward is getting to play a very tough, talented and fast Gator team or a much improved Georgia team....again. The same can be said of any of the Big 12 schools that run through the regular season. The best thing that we can hope for is that if Penn St gets in that they get smoked by who ever they play. Hopefully it will be a SEC team.
Ralph_Crampton writes:
Turbo fan a meeting among the top conference heads were held not long ago...Do not think a playoff will happen in next 10 years, or if ever. Outside the SEC all other conferences voted "NO", to a playoff..perhaps with prodding from big TV networks.
Ralph_Crampton writes:
Guys, we must face the facts...Big money from TV networks have the final say. The TV folks are out to make money not determine the real national champion. Of course the darling of the big networks is Notre Dame against any team...but Irish have been lousy lately...next choice is Ohio State, Penn ST., Michigan etc. Now, for an opponent, they prefer Texas...Florida etc...Note all the states are big population, thus more money from advertisers. The Old saying.."follow the money" is true like in all money making ventures. Another biggie the networks savor with gusto is SO. Cal. Again its big advertising money that drives who play's who!
Ralph_Crampton writes:
The state of Tennessee is and has been gaining in population the last decade. Right now, the Volunteer state is ranked 17th in the population ranking of the 50 states. There is reason to think that TN is growing faster than its neighboring states, such as Alabama, Kentucky, Mississipi, South Carolina etc. Now, TN is much larger in population then most states in the South, such as Alabama, Arkansas, South Carolina etc. Only Florida, Georgia and North Carolina have a larger population than TN...in the South. We could jump up 15th, or maybe 14th, in next census count. We are almost even with Indiana and Wisconsin..and we could surpass the two. Recently in an independent poll, Nashville was tabbed America's top livable city...and the area has been on a population boom in past 10 years. I could go on, but why do I mention population...because the bigger we get, the bigger bowls would more readily choose us...Remember its all about the money.
pdhuff#552644 writes:
No, as long as Richt hangs 72.
Lol. Should be a great game.
orangesox writes:
Obviously, they are holding out hope that some day Notre Dame might change their minds and join up with them. Probably won't happen. Rutgers or Pitt would most likely jump all over an invitation. Penn St. has been wanting a true rival in their own conference for years now, and Rutgers and Pitt fit that description as well. I read a story not long ago, though, about how JoePa had brokered a deal back in the late 80s or early 90s for a football conference from a bunch of the eastern independents at the time. Pitt backed out at the eleventh hour and left everyone back at square one. So Penn St. may not want Pitt just because of that, and that probably also has something to do with why they haven't played each other since PSU joined the Big Ten.
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