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3 undefeated SEC teams, who goes to Atlanta?
Posted on 7/25/25 at 12:45 pm
Posted on 7/25/25 at 12:45 pm
I posted this last year, and since the schedules remain the same, the scenario also does. Because of the number of teams in the conference combined with an 8 team schedule, there's potential for 3 teams to win out, and because they don't play each other, all go undefeated.
As an LSU fan, what I remember was the LSU scenario; but it applies to every team in the conference (it would be a different combination of teams for each).
For LSU: it's LSU, Texas, Tennessee. That's actually interesting, because some polls have all 3 in the top 10, and almost all have them all ranked. Texas and Tennessee both made the playoffs last year, and LSU went 9-4.
Question 1: if they all go 12-0, who goes to Atlanta, your opinion? Texas because preseason #1 in a lot of polls, thus higher ranked? LSU with a big OOC game at Clemson boosting them?
Question 2: would it be better to be left out? Someone loses in Atlanta, and you play a tough game and could get injuries. Ask UGA if they'd have liked to have skipped playing Texas, and go straight to the playoffs last year. Also ask Ohio State if they were bothered by missing their conference championship.
As an LSU fan, what I remember was the LSU scenario; but it applies to every team in the conference (it would be a different combination of teams for each).
For LSU: it's LSU, Texas, Tennessee. That's actually interesting, because some polls have all 3 in the top 10, and almost all have them all ranked. Texas and Tennessee both made the playoffs last year, and LSU went 9-4.
Question 1: if they all go 12-0, who goes to Atlanta, your opinion? Texas because preseason #1 in a lot of polls, thus higher ranked? LSU with a big OOC game at Clemson boosting them?
Question 2: would it be better to be left out? Someone loses in Atlanta, and you play a tough game and could get injuries. Ask UGA if they'd have liked to have skipped playing Texas, and go straight to the playoffs last year. Also ask Ohio State if they were bothered by missing their conference championship.
12
Posted on 7/25/25 at 1:19 pm to Scoob
In the event of a tie between teams competing for a place in the Conference championship game, the following procedures will be used in descending order until the tie is broken:
Head-to-head competition among the tied teams
Record versus all common Conference opponents among the tied teams
Record against highest (best) placed common Conference opponent in the Conference standings, and proceeding through the Conference standings among the tied teams
Cumulative Conference winning percentage of all Conference opponents among the tied teams
Capped relative total scoring margin versus all Conference opponents among the tied teams
Random draw of the tied teams
Head-to-head competition among the tied teams
Record versus all common Conference opponents among the tied teams
Record against highest (best) placed common Conference opponent in the Conference standings, and proceeding through the Conference standings among the tied teams
Cumulative Conference winning percentage of all Conference opponents among the tied teams
Capped relative total scoring margin versus all Conference opponents among the tied teams
Random draw of the tied teams
Posted on 7/25/25 at 2:02 pm to Scoob
Is it statistically possible for 3 SEC teams to finish undefeated?
Posted on 7/25/25 at 2:04 pm to Scoob
quote:
3 undefeated SEC teams, who goes to Atlanta?
Pretty sure Bama is the default in this scenario. RTR
Posted on 7/25/25 at 2:06 pm to captdalton
quote:
Is it statistically possible for 3 SEC teams to finish undefeated?
Yes. Here are the scenarios where three teams can go undefeated. The most plausible scenario is bolded.
Alabama, Arkansas, Florida
Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky
Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi State
Alabama, Kentucky, Texas A&M
Alabama, Ole Miss, Texas
Alabama, Ole Miss, Texas A&M
Arkansas, Florida, South Carolina
Arkansas, Georgia, South Carolina
Arkansas, Kentucky, Oklahoma
Auburn, Florida, South Carolina
Auburn, LSU, Mississippi State
Auburn, Mississippi State, South Carolina
Georgia, LSU, Missouri
Kentucky, LSU, Mississippi State
Kentucky, LSU, Missouri
Kentucky, Mississippi State, Oklahoma
Kentucky, Oklahoma, Texas A&M
Ole Miss, Tennessee, Texas A&M
Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Vanderbilt
Mississippi State, Oklahoma, Vanderbilt
This post was edited on 7/25/25 at 2:07 pm
Posted on 7/25/25 at 2:08 pm to anc
quote:
Mississippi State, Oklahoma, Vanderbilt
I am putting my money here.
Posted on 7/25/25 at 2:10 pm to UGADawg1988
quote:Ok, those are the tiebreakers. The first three are washes, as head-to-head is out, and record vs common opponents would be undefeated for all.
Head-to-head competition among the tied teams
quote:That's what likely decides it. Last year, I believeLSU would have went ahead of UGA had they tied in conference (one more LSU win), because Auburn was terrible and pulled UGA down.
Cumulative Conference winning percentage of all Conference opponents among the tied teams
In the case of a 3 way tie, especially 12-0, I'm torn on whether I'd want my team to be left out of Atlanta. Sure, it would be great to win the SEC and the natty, and as a fan I'd want my team playing and winning. But assuming all 3 teams are roughly equal, one team takes a loss there. And yet, as we have seen a lot of times, the loser can adjust their gameplan more in a rematch, because they had more to work on, focusing on what did work and tweaking what didn't. So that becomes a more dangerous matchup in the playoffs
The excluded team skips all that, as well as avoids having an extra game against a tough opponent beating them up. And I'd assume with the new format, a 12-0 SEC team still gets a good seed; probably better than a 12-1 SEC team.
Posted on 7/25/25 at 2:14 pm to Scoob
Georgia because we're the closest and we own Atlanta figuratively and literally.
Let the other two teams settle their shite.
Let the other two teams settle their shite.
Posted on 7/25/25 at 2:21 pm to anc
quote:and there are plenty more than you listed. Like my post: LSU, Texas, Tennessee (not on your list).quote:
Is it statistically possible for 3 SEC teams to finish undefeated?
Yes. Here are the scenarios where three teams can go undefeated
Which goes to show:
8 game schedule leaves a lot to be desired, for a conference this big. Also, conference championship game is becoming unnecessary, and potentially a negative. As I said in the OP, I bet UGA would rather not play last year's game, if they could do it over. They probably beat Notre Dame with a healthy, experienced QB, and possibly win it all.
Posted on 7/25/25 at 2:48 pm to Scoob
Alabama
Posted on 7/25/25 at 2:50 pm to Scoob
Who in their right mind would want to go to the SECCG and risk injury (see Georgia) instead of just taking the Playoff invite? Somehow, football fans can't seem to comprehend that conference championship games are still tits on a bull.
Posted on 7/25/25 at 2:53 pm to bamameister
Another worrisome scenario is a year when three teams tie with 6-2 conference records. Now the loser of the SECCG ends up with 3 losses, and I am not at all sure that the committee puts this 3 loss team into the playoffs. Meanwhile the 3rd place team gets to sit at home and then get a playoff invitations.
Posted on 7/25/25 at 3:05 pm to UGADawg1988
quote:
Another worrisome scenario is a year when three teams tie with 6-2 conference records. Now the loser of the SECCG ends up with 3 losses, and I am not at all sure that the committee puts this 3 loss team into the playoffs. Meanwhile the 3rd place team gets to sit at home and then get a playoff invitations.
I just got off the phone with the hypothetical college football gods, and they just told me that the other 2 SEC teams also have 2 losses, and that means the loser in the CCG will also have 3 losses.
Posted on 7/25/25 at 4:33 pm to bamameister
quote:Not quite sure what you're trying to say here...quote:
Another worrisome scenario is a year when three teams tie with 6-2 conference records. Now the loser of the SECCG ends up with 3 losses, and I am not at all sure that the committee puts this 3 loss team into the playoffs. Meanwhile the 3rd place team gets to sit at home and then get a playoff invitations.
I just got off the phone with the hypothetical college football gods, and they just told me that the other 2 SEC teams also have 2 losses, and that means the loser in the CCG will also have 3 losses.
but the quoted scenario is a legit concern. 10-2 (6-2) ain't going to get you a top seed, but will likely get you into the playoffs. See: Tennessee last year. The concern would be dropping to 10-3; that might push you to the edge, maybe out. Think if UGA had lost last year.
And another scenario to wonder about: let's say there's a glut of 10-2 teams in the SEC. For sake of argument, LSU and Texas make Atlanta, with 7-1 conference records but have the OOC loss (LSU to Clemson, Texas to Ohio State) to playoff teams. Then you have, say, UGA, Tennessee, Alabama all at 10-2/6-2.
Does the loser in Atlanta, with that 3rd loss, get bumped out?
Posted on 7/25/25 at 4:38 pm to UGADawg1988
quote:
Now the loser of the SECCG ends up with 3 losses, and I am not at all sure that the committee puts this 3 loss team into the playoffs. Meanwhile the 3rd place team gets to sit at home and then get a playoff invitations.
This will happen eventually.
Posted on 7/25/25 at 4:45 pm to captdalton
quote:I saw on IG where there are 4 scenarios where 4 teams could go undefeated in conference play.
Is it statistically possible for 3 SEC teams to finish undefeated?
Posted on 7/25/25 at 5:06 pm to Scoob
Don’t worry LSU will not be undefeated . I would say the days of anyone being undefeated are probably over ..
Posted on 7/25/25 at 5:12 pm to Soonerd78
2024 oregon
Posted on 7/25/25 at 5:17 pm to Scoob
quote:
undefeated SEC teams
quote:
lsu fan
Don't concern yourself with it
Posted on 7/25/25 at 5:17 pm to Scoob
quote:
Question 1: if they all go 12-0, who goes to Atlanta, your opinion?
Opinion has nothing to do with it. I believe it is conference record of opponents
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