It’s bowl season. And College Football Playoff season.
Or maybe it’s only CFP season and bowl season doesn’t matter anymore. It’s not that extreme yet, but the CFP is slowly taking it over, just like the NCAA
Tournament took over the NIT many decades ago.
Anyway, most of the Southeastern Conference has at least one more game remaining before their offseasons begin. Five of them are playing in the playoff for a chance at a national championship (though one of those team’s coaches decided he’d rather go to a 7-5 team in Louisiana and recruit all December and January) and six teams are bowling—of whom five are bowl eligible (5-7 Mississippi State, don’t get used to it!)
Let’s see where everybody’s heading in these next few weeks:
#3 Georgia (12-1)
Next Game: CFP Quarterfinals (Sugar Bowl)
The Georgia Bulldogs are the only SEC team getting a first round bye and will be awaiting the winner of Tulane and Ole Miss on January 1st. That gives them a lot of time to prepare as well as rest up. Oh, and of course, enjoy Christmas!
#6 Ole Miss (11-1)
Next Game: CFP First Round (Home)
The Rebels are CFP-bound, but as the whole sports world knows, Lane Kiffin abandoned ship right after the Egg Bowl. Regardless, their first-round game is at home and against the American champ: the Tulane Green Wave. Coincidentally, they played them back in September and blew them out 45-10 in Oxford. All they have to do is invite all the fans back and play it again.
#7 Texas A&M (11-1)
Next Game: CFP First Round (Home)
The Aggies are hosting a first round game in their massive Kyle Field and will be welcoming the Miami Hurricanes from the ACC. These Hurricanes are the only other team besides these Aggies that beat Notre Dame, who is kicking and screaming because they can’t be playing this game and rematching the Aggies they lost to in September.
#8 Oklahoma (10-2)
Next Game: CFP First Round (Home)
OU is 2-0 against Alabama since joining the SEC and is hosting them for a chance at 3-0 with everything on the line. These advantages help the Sooners a lot, but it’s still Alabama, and nothing will be easy.
#9 Alabama (10-3)
Next Game: CFP First Round (Road)
The last SEC team to get in the field, the Crimson Tide, will be on the road in Norman, Oklahoma, facing a team that has had its number these past two years, and they are itching to beat. If Alabama wins, they will advance to face the 13-0 Indiana Hoosiers in the Rose Bowl, which would be a heavyweight bout of epic proportions.
#13 Texas (9-3)
Next Game: Citrus Bowl
The Longhorns did not make the CFP, but made the best bowl outside of it. They will face Michigan in the Citrus Bowl in Orlando on December 31st for a chance at a 10-win season. That would still be a big accomplishment given how things were after the first month of the season.
#14 Vanderbilt (10-2)
Next Game: ReliaQuest Bowl
Vandy put up one of their best seasons in school history, winning ten games for the first time ever and capping their season with an epic road beatdown of archrival Tennessee. Now they’ll be facing Iowa in Tampa, FL for the ReliaQuest Bowl, another high-profile bowl against another high-profile opponent—the Iowa Hawkeyes.
Missouri (8-4)
Next Game: Gator Bowl
The Tigers will also be going to Florida to bowl and will be doing so against Virginia. The game will give them a chance for a 9-win season and a chance to beat a 10-win team and take momentum into the offseason.
Tennessee (8-4)
Next Game: Music City Bowl
One of the Volunteers’ biggest advantages in bowl season comes when it can play in its own backyard in Nashville and pack the stands with orange. This year, they’ll be doing that against Illinois, who also had an 8-4 season and will be coming in with lots of orange fans as well.
LSU (7-5)
Next Game: Texas Bowl
LSU wanted to go 11-1 and make the playoff, but will instead have to take 7-5 and the Texas Bowl with Houston. Will they show up to play at all or will they roll over? There’s a fair chance it will be the latter.
Mississippi State (5-7)
Next Game: Duke’s Mayo Bowl
What?!? What are they doing here? That’s right—the Mississippi State Bulldogs, who went 1-7 in the SEC, won all four of their nonconference games and took Kansas State’s bowl invitation after the Wildcats declined it. They might only have five wins, but they’re taking on Wake Forest in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl and Wake better watch out!
