Even though the Georgia Bulldogs have already finished SEC play and there are only two weeks in the regular season regardless, the SEC Championship Game matchup is anything but decided. There are still multiple variations of how things could play out over the final two weeks that could give us a variety of different matchups in Atlanta with the SEC title, and perhaps a bye in the first round of the College Football Playoff, on the line, specifically for Georgia, the Texas A&M Aggies, and even the Alabama Crimson Tide, despite their loss to Oklahoma.
However, one thing that's important to note is that teams like Oklahoma and Ole Miss might be near the top of the standings, but it's worth noting that their SEC Championship Game chances are nonexistent. The list of contenders to make it to Atlanta have dwindled as various tiebreakers have already played out. But what else still needs to be decided? Let's dive into the standings before we get into how every contender can still make the SEC title bout.
Current SEC standings
SEC Standings | Conference Record | Overall Record |
|---|---|---|
1. Texas A&M | 7-0 | 10-0 |
2. Georgia | 7-1 | 9-1 |
3. Ole Miss | 7-1 | 10-1 |
4. Alabama | 6-1 | 8-2 |
5. Texas | 4-2 | 7-3 |
6. Oklahoma | 4-2 | 8-2 |
7. Vanderbilt | 4-2 | 8-2 |
8. Tennessee | 3-3 | 7-3 |
9. Missouri | 3-3 | 7-3 |
10. LSU | 3-4 | 6-4 |
11. Kentucky | 2-5 | 5-5 |
12. Florida | 2-5 | 3-7 |
13. Mississippi State | 1-6 | 5-6 |
14. Auburn | 1-6 | 4-6 |
15. South Carolina | 1-7 | 3-7 |
16. Arkansas | 0-6 | 2-8 |
When the dust settles, the current standings amount just teams in the SEC that are still alive to head to Atlanta and play for the conference title. Those teams are Texas A&M, Alabama, Georgia, and Vanderbilt. However, the path to the SEC Championship Game is anything but simple for some while it's quite simple for others. Here's a look at the tiebreaker scenarios at play, and what each of the still-alive SEC contenders will need to play for the conference championship.
Oklahoma, unfortunately, has head-to-head losses that effectively eliminate them from the SEC Championship Game contention with falling at the hands of Georgia and Texas earlier in the season. Texas was also then eliminated in the late action with the loss to the Bulldogs.
SEC tiebreaker scenarios for the 3 remaining contenders
Texas A&M Aggies
Remaining Schedule: vs. Samford | at Texas
While orchestrating a program record comeback to beat South Carolina, 31-30, on Saturday might put the Aggies at 7-0 with only one SEC game remaining on the schedule, Texas A&M's hopes of making it to the conference championship game are anything but certain at this point, which largely comes down to the regular season finale on the road in Austin against rival Texas.
If Texas A&M were to lose that game, regardless of the Longhorns being alive or not to make the SEC Championship Game, they would be in a world of trouble because of their cumulative win percentage of opponents in the conference. They will end up behind Alabama and Georgia in that category, as Texas is their only opponent in the top half of the SEC standings as of right now.
Having said that, Texas A&M is the only team that controls its own destiny in the SEC, facing a win-and-in scenario against Texas.
Alabama Crimson Tide
Remaining Schedule: vs. E Illinois | at Auburn
Even with the loss to Oklahoma, that was only Alabama's first defeat in conference play this season, and they'll be heavy favorites in the Iron Bowl against rival Auburn. At the same time, finishing the season 7-1 might not be the most advantageous scenario for the Crimson Tide. While they own a head-to-head tiebreaker over Georgia, that could potentially be immaterial when the final conference standings are decided if there's a three-way tie also involving Ole Miss, once again going to the cumulative winning percetnage of opponents.
Beating Auburn in the Iron Bowl would obviously keep Alabama very much alive, and a Texas A&M loss to Texas on top of that would all but ensure the Crimson Tide will head to Atlanta. Where it gets tricky is with two of the lesser teams in the conference, Kentucky and Florida. If the Wildcats and Gators were to win against Vanderbilt and Tennessee, respectively, in Week 13, that would give Georgia and Ole Miss the advantage over Alabama to make the SEC Championship Game in a three-way tiebreaker.
Georgia Bulldogs
Remaining Schedule: vs. Charlotte | vs. Georgia Tech
The Week 12 matchup with Texas was absolutely crucial for Georgia in its plight to get back to Atlanta for the SEC Championship Game. A loss would've effectively eliminated the Dawgs from the race in the conference, especially with the loss to Alabama in conference play hanging over them. But now that they've picked up the win and also concluded SEC play, they are in a phenomenal position.
As mentioned with Texas A&M, UGA winning on Saturday night against Texas put the heat on the Aggies to do the same in the final week of the regular season. If the Aggies were to lose on the road in Austin, Georgia would all but surely leap ahead of A&M based on cumulative conference winning percentage of opponents.
Texas, Oklahoma and Ole Miss are eliminated from SEC Championship contention
While Oklahoma knocked off Alabama and is in line for a College Football Playoff berth, they are no longer alive to play in the SEC Championship Game. The Sooners would, obviously, own the head-to-head tiebreaker over Alabama if the Crimson Tide were to lose to Auburn in the regular season finale, but the Texas A&M Aggies and Georgia Bulldogs would still end up ahead of them in the standings.
For the Rebels, it's quite simple in that, even if they finish with only one conference loss, their head-to-head tiebreaker loss to Georgia will keep them out of the conference title game. Texas, on the other hand, saw its chances go up in flames with their loss in Week 12 to Georgia, as well.