It's Only SEC (but I like it....)
GEORGE SOMERVILLE – THE TOUCHDOWN SEC CORRESPONDENT
Postseason : week 1
The SEC Championship game is done and dusted and the Georgia Bulldogs have been crowned SEC football champions.
Which means that the regular season is complete, and another SEC football season is finished and under our belts.
However, the football season rolls on into the postseason and the College Football Playoffs. After all of the Championship games concluded on Saturday, the CFB Playoff committee met in their smoke-filled room in Grapevine, Texas, to agree on the top twelve teams who would move forward to compete for a National Championship in Miami on January 19th.
Which is where the shenanigans really started. And so this brings us to the headlines from this week’s SEC news.
It’s time to catch up on what’s been happening in and around the conference! Yup, it’s time for some “It’s Only SEC”….
Here’s what’s going on in SEC country!
this weeks sec Stories
A night in Atlanta to forget
Atlanta, GA
While Georgia fans danced off into the Atlanta night, Alabama fans were left crying into their beers. A much-anticipated match-up between old foes in the SEC Championship game quickly became a badly one-sided affair, so much so that Alabama fans were genuinely worried that the manner of their defeat would end the Crimson Tide’s playoff chances.
dominant dawgs
But let’s start with the victors. Georgia is a team which has been on the ascendency since Alabama beat them in Athens back in September. In Atlanta, with an SEC Championship on the line, Georgia was as dominant as they have been over an Alabama team that looked shell-shocked and mismatched.
Much of this was due to the Dawgs’ defense living up to the ruthless reputation gained from previous Georgia defensive classes. Early in the season, Georgia was overlooked by many as a team that could compete come the postseason. However, Glenn Schumann’s defense has improved week on week, and there will be few teams who fancy meeting the Dawgs in the Playoffs.
Tide in trouble
While the Dawgs are in ascendency, the same cannot be said for the Tide. While Alabama had an unrivalled run mid-season, beating four ranked teams in succession, they stuttered towards the season’s end. A loss to Oklahoma for the second season running had fans panicked that the wheels were coming off their season. Not helped by a massive list of injuries, Alabama couldn’t seem to get the offense clicking as efficiently as it did early in the season.
Key to that early-season form was QB Ty Simpson, who seemingly could not put a foot wrong. At the halfway point of the season, Simpson had thrown only one interception. In the second half of the season, he threw a further four as the pressure on his pocket increased significantly. The O-line could not protect their QB in the same way they had early in the season, and Simpson’s passing accuracy plummeted as a result. In the first seven games of the season, Simpson had a passing accuracy score of 73.3%. Compare that with 59.0% in the next six games.
There are unsubstantiated rumours of Simpson carrying an injury, which may be true. However, Alabama had little to no run game before Jam Miller was injured, and a wide receiving corps which has not lived up to its billing. Alabama fans are concerned. But remain expectant! It feels like something has to give in that arrangement!
Both teams move on to the Playoffs in wildly different periods of form. Kirby Smart will look to keep the momentum going, while Kalen DeBoer is trying to find some momentum.
Life in the old elephant yet
Tuscaloosa, AL
The manner of Alabama’s defeat to Georgia severely jeopardised the Crimson Tide’s spot in the College Football Playoff. In the penultimate week’s ranking, Alabama was ranked #9, which meant they had some room for manoeuvre but not much. A slip of two places or more would see the Tide slide out of the Playoff spots and face a second straight year without a place in the Playoffs. Unthinkable in Tuscaloosa!
However, when the Committee released the final rankings, everyone, including those inside Bryant-Denny Stadium, was surprised to see Alabama remain at #9. Later, the Committee confirmed that they elected not to penalise Alabama for playing and losing the SEC Championship game while other teams sat at home watching.
Common sense finally prevailed!
This means that five SEC teams advanced to the College Football Playoff knockout rounds: Georgia (ranked #3), Ole Miss (#6), Texas A&M (#7), Oklahoma (#8) & Alabama (#9).
Nowhere was there a louder exhale of breath than in Tuscaloosa.
Playoff games confirmed
Across the SEC
Immediately, the final rankings were confirmed, so to the Playoff matchups were simultaneously confirmed. So now we know where and when the games will be played.
With five SEC teams making it to the Playoffs, there is plenty to look forward to starting December 19th, as the #3 seed Georgia has a bye through to the second round, which will be played on January 1st.
First round games are played on 19th & 20th December. Times are ET.
Here are the Playoff games involving SEC teams.
Friday December 19th
Alabama @ Oklahoma 8pm ET, Norman OK
Saturday December 20th
Miami @ Texas A&M Noon ET, College Station, TX
Tulane @ Ole Miss 3.30pm ET, Oxford MS
Playoff Bowl Games
Georgia will play the winners of Ole Miss v Tulane in the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans at 8pm ET on January 1st.
Indiana will play the winner of Alabama v Oklahoma in the Rose Bowl at 4pm ET on January 1st.
Ohio State will play the winner of Miami v Texas A&M in the Cotton Bowl at 7.30pm on December 31st.
In the last semi-final, Texas Tech will play the winner of James Madison v Oregon in the Orange Bowl in Miami, Noon ET on January 1st.
Exciting times!
Diego 4 Heisman
Nashville, TN
If you have read these pages and/ or watched any SEC football this year you know how great a season Vanderbilt has had.
Vandy were sensational last year; however, many predicted the so-called “sophomore slump” (not accurate in this sense, but artistic licence prevails). However, Clark Lea has guided his Commodores to the verge of the College Football Playoffs. Vandy recorded a 10-2 season this year and can count themselves mightily unlucky not to have made the top 12 teams in the country. Regardless, this has earned them an invite to the ReliaQuest Bowl in Tampa to play Iowa.
The good news continued when Head Coach Clark Lea received a six-year contract extension.
But perhaps the biggest prize for Vanderbilt football might yet be to come.
BEST PLAYER IN CFB
Their enigmatic and talismanic quarterback, Diego Pavia, has earned himself an invitation to the Heisman ceremony in New York. Pavia is one of four Heisman finalists: Ohio State QB Julian Sayin, Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza, and Notre Dame running back Jeremiah Love.
Mendoza is currently the favourite to win the trophy; however, Pavia left the voters with something to think about during Vandy’s routing of Kentucky at the end of the season.
During Pavia’s senior day, he set career highs in completion percentage (84.6%), passing yards (484), total yards (532) and total touchdowns (6) in Vandy’s 45-17 rout of the Wildcats. Pavia became the first Vanderbilt player in the last 30 years to score at least four total touchdowns in three straight games.
In fairly typical Pavia fashion, he declared himself the best player in college football after the game.
“Well, the Heisman Trophy winner goes to the best player in college football,” Pavia told the Hot Mic radio show. “I believe that to be myself, you check the numbers and especially — there’s two things that don’t lie to you: Numbers and tape. I’ve been taught that since I was young, you go check that out. I feel like I’m undoubtedly the best player in college football.”
LEA BELIEVES
But it’s not just Pavia’s self-belief. His Head coach, Clark Lea, is a firm believer that his QB should win the award. Truth be told, Lea isn’t one to throw praise and hyperbole about. But he is full of praise for his QB.
“I think he’s the best player in college football,” Lea said. “That’s what I think. So you can’t watch him play and not realize what a game changer he is. And there are a lot of good players. There’s only a handful to me that can take a game over, and he’s one of those. And so he deserves all the attention, all the credit. I mean, he’s such a confident guy, but he’s humble in his process. His greatest trait is his curiosity. And he’s a dog, that’s what he is, and he shows up every time, and I love him, and I’m glad he’s with us. And I hope for everything for him, including the Heisman.”
DIEGO FOR HEISMAN!
Get your popcorn ready
Oxford, MS
If the College Football Playoffs weren’t exciting enough for us, the SEC released next season’s fixtures for us all to discuss, plan and salivate over!
With games over eight months away, let’s not give this too much time and attention, but one game jumped off the page more than any other and is worthy of some early coverage.
With the chaotic way that Lane Kiffin left Ole Miss for Baton Rouge and LSU, Kiffin’s return to Oxford was always going to be eagerly anticipated, if that’s the correct phrase to use. Kiffin is currently public enemy #1 across most of Mississippi, so I doubt he will receive a hero’s welcome. Well, maybe from Mississippi State fans.
As it turns out, we don’t have to wait long—week three to be precise. September 19th is the date when Kiffin and his LSU Tigers will head North to face the Rebels.
Given the manner in which Kiffin made his now-infamous exit from Ole Miss and the receptions that he received when he returned to Tennessee, this is going to be box office.
As the Coach himself once said, “get your popcorn ready…”
GEORGE SOMERVILLE
COLLEGE FOOTBALL WRITER
GEORGE IS A LONG STANDING FANATIC OF LIFE AND FOOTBALL IN THE DEEP SOUTH AND WRITES HIS WEEKLY COLUMN CALLED “IT’S ONLY SEC” FOR THE TOUCHDOWN. HE IS ALSO CO-HOST AND ONE THIRD OF THE COLLEGE CHAPS PODCAST, THE UK’S FIRST PODCAST DEDICATED TO THE COLLEGE GAME.