The biggest surprise for the SEC in Week 10 of the 2017 season is that all fourteen conference members technically are still in the race to become bowl eligible. Even 3-3 Florida has a shot winning out and earning a bowl invite.
Here's where every SEC team stands at the moment. Bowl projections are from CBS Sports' Jerry Palm, and SB*Nation's Jason Kirk.
SEC East
Georgia (9-0, conference 6-0)
Projected bowl and opponent
Palm: 2017 Orange Bowl vs. Miami (Dec. 30, Miami, FL.)
Kirk: 2018 Sugar Bowl vs. Wisconsin (College football playoff semifinal no. 1 vs no. 4. Jan. 1, 2018, New Orleans, LA.)
Palm continues with his annoying "ICWYDT" UGA vs. Miami on the 2017 Orang4 Bowl pick, while Palm projects Georgia vs. Wisconsin, a team which many prognosticators finally seemed to realize has gone undefeated.
South Carolina (6-3, conference 4-3)
Projected bowl and opponent
Palm: 2017 Music City Bowl vs. Northwestern (Dec. 29, Nashville, TN.)
Kirk: 2018 Citrus Bowl vs. Penn State (Jan. 1, 2018, Orlando, FL.)
Kirk has the more logical projection for South Carolina at the moment.
Kentucky (6-3, conference 3-3)
Projected bowl and opponent
Palm: 2017 Liberty Bowl vs. Texas (Dec. 30, Memphis, TN.)
Kirk: 20178 TaxSlayer Bowl vs. North Carolina State (Dec. 30, Jacksonville, FL.)
Kentucky and NC St. are 1-1, and haven't faced each other since 1970 (The Wildcats beat the Wolfpack 27-2). Kentucky lost to Texas 7-6 in the only matchup between the two schools in 1951.
SEC West
Alabama (9-0, conference 6-0)
Projected bowl and opponent
Palm: 2018 Sugar Bowl vs. Wisconsin
Kirk: 2017 Orange Bowl vs. Miami
Kirk has Alabama totally missing out of the CFP semifinals this week.
Auburn (7-2, conference 5-1)
Projected bowl and opponentPalm: 2018 Citrus Bowl vs. Ohio State
Kirk: 2018 Peach Bowl vs. Central Florida (Jan. 1, 2018, Atlanta, GA.)
Auburn can play spoiler for both UGA and Alabama over the next five weeks.
Mississippi State (7-2, conference 3-2)
Projected bowl and opponent
Palm: 2017 TaxSlayer Bowl vs. Louisville
Kirk: 2017 Texas Bowl vs. Kansas St. (Dec. 27, Houston, TX.)
Dan Mullen vs. Bobby Petrino, or Mullen vs. Bill Snyder? The TaxSlayer bowl projection is the more intriguing of the two picks.
LSU (6-3, 3-2 conference)
Projected bowl and opponent
Palm: 2018 Outback Bowl vs. Penn St. (Jan. 1, 2018, Tampa, Fl.)
Kirk 2018 Outback Bowl vs. Michigan
Same bowl game, different teams for LSU.
Five wins (Magic number 1)
SEC East
None
SEC West
Texas A&M (5-4, conference 3-3)
Next three games
Nov. 11 vs. New Mexico
Nov. 18 @ Ole Miss
Nov. 25 @ LSU
A win against either New Mexico or Ole Miss would give Texas A&M the guaranteed bowl eligibility it's looking for, but it might not be enough to save head coach Kevin Sumlin's job.
Projected bowl and opponent
Palm: 2017 Texas Bowl vs. West Virginia
Kirk: 2017 Music City Bowl vs. Indiana
Indiana would be a much easier opponent for Texas A&M, but facing West Virginia in the Texas Bowl might be the better option for the Aggies.
Four wins (Magic number: 2)
SEC East
Missouri (4-5, conference 1-4)
Next three games
Nov. 11 vs. Tennessee
Nov 18 @ Vanderbilt
Nov. 24 @ Arkansas
Missouri's 45-16 dismantling of Florida give some glimmer of hope that the Tigers might have two more wins in them. While Tennessee and Arkansas are having down seasons, Mizzou wins over both schools will be difficult.
Projected bowl and opponent
Palm: None
Kirk: 2017 Liberty Bowl vs. Iowa State
Palm is apparently not confident in Mizzou's ability to earn two or more wins this season.
Tennessee (4-5, conference 0-5)
Next three games
Nov. 11 @ Missouri
Nov. 18 vs. LSU
Nov. 25 vs. Vanderbilt
Tennessee is 0-5 in conference play, but arguably could pick up two wins somewhere in the next two weeks. Mizzou and Vandy are the obvious games to be looking at. Even a weaker-than-usual LSU could still be more than the Vols could handle.
Projected bowl and opponent
Palm: 2017 Belk Bowl vs. Wake Forest (Dec. 29, Charlotte, NC)
Tennessee might make it to Charlotte, but head coach Butch Jones probably won't.
Vanderbilt (4-5 overall, 0-5 conference)
Next three games
Nov. 11 vs. Kentucky
Nov. 18 vs. Missouri
Nov. 25 @ Tennessee
Vandy vs Kentucky will be the hardest of the these three games for Vandy to pick a wig iup.
Projected bowl and opponents
Palm: 2017 Birmingham Bowl vs. Memphis (Dec. 23, 2017)
Kirk: None
Arkansas (4-5, conference 1-4)
Next three games
Nov. 11 @ LSU
Nov. 18 Mississippi St.
Nov, 24 Missouri
Another case of there being a limited possibility of earning two wins.
Bowl projection and opponent
Palm: None
Kirk: None
Three wins (Magic number: 3)
Florida (3-5, conference 3-4)
Next three games
Nov. 11 South Carolina
Nov. 18 UAB
Nov. Nov. 25
Projected bowl and opponent
Palm: None
Kirk: None
Are we kidding ourselves that Florida could win out and become bowl eligible? Yes.
No comments:
Post a Comment