Jamie Newman opting out has ripple effects for top SEC teams.
Some bombshell news dropped Wednesday afternoon when new Georgia quarterback Jamie Newman revealed he was opting out of the 2020 season. JT Daniels may now be thrust into the starting role and Georgia’s playoff chances took a huge hit.
That opens up a huge opportunity for two other top SEC programs in a year when two teams from the conference could make the College Football Playoff. Not having Big Ten or Pac-12 teams included should actually ensure the conference gets two teams in if the playoffs are held.
Alabama and Florida are the biggest beneficiaries of Jamie Newman’s decision to opt-out of the Georgia football season, and both could be locks for the playoff now as a result
The first team directly benefitting is Florida. The Gators are also in the SEC East and enter the season as the No. 8 team in the preseason Top 25. The program avoided Alabama on the regular-season schedule and Georgia was set to be the toughest opponent. LSU now stands out as the toughest test.
The only other ranked team in the division aside from Florida and Georgia is Tennessee. But the Gators are still seeing their top SEC East competitor lose its starting quarterback right before the season.
Alabama also gets helped by Newman’s decision. The Crimson Tide has Georgia on the schedule as one of its SEC East opponents but managed to avoid Florida. Now the key is getting past the likes of Auburn and LSU. Having the duo of Mac Jones and Bryce Young at quarterback helps explain why the Crimson Tide are ranked behind only Clemson among teams playing this fall.
Both Florida and Alabama meeting in the SEC Championship Game could serve as a warmup for both before the playoffs. The only way that isn’t true is if one team wins its division with two or more losses. But at least on paper, both programs saw their chances improve now that Newman is focused on his NFL future.
For more NCAA football news, analysis, opinion and unique coverage by FanSided, including Heisman Trophy and College Football Playoff rankings, be sure to bookmark these pages.