Around the SEC Rethinks the 24 Team Playoff

Welcome to Around the SEC, where everything is made up and the points don’t matter. That’s right, the points are like the strength of schedule to the College Football Playoff Committee. With that being the case, a 24 team playoff may not be the worst thing in the world.

I know, I know. I really don’t like it either. I think 12 is a fine number of teams, and i could even see 16 being ok. 24, however, is way too many… unless it’s not. And last weekend is a perfect example of why that’s the case.

With last weekend’s carnage around the SEC (and other places in across the country), only four teams remain in the SEC with one loss. Everyone else has two or more losses. It is October 21st, and almost half the season still remains. We’re easily looking at two two-loss teams playing in Atlanta for the conference title. This isn’t because the SEC is losing out of conference matchups; the league is 38-2 in out of conference play. The league is so deep and talent disbursed so wide that anyone can and truly will beat anyone.

Now, I don’t believe the SEC will have quite the same parity as the NFL, where just having a record above .500 is usually considered playoff worthy or just about. I am, however, starting to recalibrate my thinking about what constitutes a playoff worthy record in the SEC.

Gone are likely the days of going undefeated in conference play except on very rare occasions. 8-1 is probably an incredible season at this point too in SEC play. Moving forward, we’re probably looking at the league leaders being 7-2 and 6-3 in conference play.

That 6-3 mark may not be enough to get in a 12 team playoff as currently constructed. Is the Committee going to take a 9-3 SEC team with a gauntlet of a schedule, or an 11-1 or 10-2 Big 12 or ACC (or Notre Dame) team that plays 2 tough games a year and loses both of them?

With the 24 team playoff, 6-3 in the SEC gets you in the Big Dance… and yes it’d be the Big Dance like basketball. Overall, am I in favor of this? No, I wish we’d stay at 12 teams and re-evaluate strength of schedule as a metric for how the Committee views playoff teams. However, I no longer think the 24 team playoff is complete, 100% bad. Just mostly bad.

Anyways, thanks for coming to my TedTalk. A couple quick SEC hitters below:

• Auburn has dismissed linebacker Xavier Atkins, who has entered the transfer portal
• Despite his inconsistent play, Oklahoma QB John Mateer will remain the starter
• Despite his inconsistent play, Texas QB Arch Manning will remain the starter… for now. Backup KJ Lacey Jr. is seeing increased first team reps, and a QB change can’t be ruled out.