Vanderbilt and Texas are both proof that SEC dominance is real. Even with a combined five losses between the two teams, they’re still in the hunt for a College Football Playoff spot, believe it or not. Texas might be the first three-loss team to get into the CFP field and Vanderbilt could snag one of the last at-large spots.
For what it’s worth, a lot would have to happen for them to join the already deep SEC field in the CFP, but it’s not out of the question. As much as I hate giving the SEC the benefit of the doubt, let’s have some fun and see just how crazy of a scenario would have to play out to get as many SEC teams in as possible.
Vandy, Texas sneak into the CFP against all odds
With the latest rankings, Texas A&M, Georgia, Oklahoma, Ole Miss and Alabama are all slotted in the field. If you add in the current conference champion auto-bids, that would also mean Ohio State, Tulane, Miami and Texas Tech all get in as well. Indiana will most likely land in the CFP with how their season has gone, which leaves two at-large spots.
For Vanderbilt and Texas to land in those final two spots, a lot would have to happen. Oregon would need to lose to USC, effectively knocking the Ducks out of the CFP race. That would almost certainly let No. 14 Vandy slide into the field. BYU would need to lose to Cincinnati and Utah would have to either lose over the next two weeks or lose the Big 12 title game.
Because Texas’ third loss of the season bumped them all the way down to No. 17, they’d need a lot of help in front of them. Georgia Tech would need to lose out, USC would need to lose to UCLA at the end of the season and Michigan would also have to lose out. If Michigan manages to beat Ohio State, that could hinder Texas, as the Longhorns lost to Ohio State in the season opener.
Even then, it would be a near impossible task for Texas to get in because there’s entirely way too many losses that need to happen ahead of them. If they do beat Texas A&M, it would be a great resume win, but might not be enough to bump them seven-plus rankings.
The five automatic bids make it extremely difficult to get every SEC team that's in contention, but it’s not outlandish to think Vanderbilt and Texas could make a run. Both teams would need a lot of things to happen ahead of them while also winning out. Vanderbilt has a better chance than Texas, but the Longhorns’ chances are basically non-existent after a loss to Georgia last week.
Would seven SEC teams even make sense for the CFP field?
Realistically, five SEC teams will probably get into the CFP field with six plausible, but seven is probably not going to happen. Truthfully, it doesn’t make sense for the CFP selection committee to even consider trying to force seven teams. Texas turned things around after a rough start, but they simply aren’t one of the 12 best teams in college football this year. Oregon should get the benefit of the doubt over Texas, even if they do lose to USC. And USC, if it manages to win out, has a stronger resume as a two-loss team than Texas does with three losses, even with a win over Texas A&M.
The Big 12 and the Big Ten have had solid seasons, respectively, so to omit one of those teams for a mediocre Texas team feels forced. BYU and Utah, the loser of the Big 12 title game, assuming one of them meets Texas Tech, should get the benefit of the doubt. Even Georgia Tech, for as bad as the ACC has been, should get an upper hand over Texas.
Is SEC dominance ruining the College Football Playoff?
This is becoming a yearly conversation at this point. The SEC and its hopes of becoming the most dominant conference – if it isn’t already – in college football is taking the CFP field to a whole new level. The fact that even seven teams are in contention is crazy. Whether they get all seven in or not, they’ll still have the most teams of any conference, making up almost half of the field.
Should there be stronger stipulations to allowing teams from multiple conferences? Is it up to the CFP selection committee to evaluate every team fairly and not give SEC teams favoritism over the other conferences? Sure the SEC does have the strongest teams, less parity and more competition.
But again, making arguments for some of the two-loss and the three-loss teams to get in for the sake of having more SEC teams is irrational. That’s what the regular season is for, to determine the best SEC teams. Brands rule everything with the CFP, though, so there’s no surprise why the CFP selection committee wants as many brands in as possible.