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LSU should cheer for Kentucky (3-Way Tie Breaker)
Posted on 10/23/23 at 10:40 pm
Posted on 10/23/23 at 10:40 pm
So I've been seeing a lot of folks ask about the 3-way tie breaker. Here's the rundown of how it would work in a hypothetical tie between Alabama, LSU, and Ole Miss:
Note the part in bold. It'll be important later.
Each team is 1-1 vs each other. Move on to B.
All 3 teams have identical division records.
All 3 teams have identical records against identical foes.
All 3 teams are undefeated outside of each other
Once again, all 3 teams are undefeated against everyone else.
All 3 teams are undefeated against everyone else, and none have a common non-divisional foe.
Right now, here are the combined records of the three teams East opponents:
LSU: 6-2
Alabama: 4-4
Ole Miss: 4-4
With Alabama and Ole Miss tied, this part kicks in:
As Alabama owns the head-to-head with Ole Miss, then the following is applied:
Which now narrows it down to Alabama and LSU, and in this scenario, LSU goes thanks to the same head-to-head rule.
This means that, if all 3 teams finish 7-1, Ole Miss needs their East foes to finish at least 1 game above Alabama's East foes (presuming LSU's stay above the other 2).
Remaining schedules for each:
LSU Opponents:
Florida - Georgia, Arkansas, LSU, Missouri
Missouri - Georgia, Tennessee, Florida, Arkansas
Alabama Opponents:
Tennessee - Kentucky, Missouri, Georgia, Vanderbilt
Kentucky - Tennessee, Mississippi State, Alabama, South Carolina
Ole Miss Opponents:
Georgia - Florida, Missouri, Ole Miss, Tennessee
Vanderbilt - Ole Miss, Auburn, South Carolina, Tennessee
quote:
2. Three-Team Tie (or more): If three teams (or more) are tied for a division title, the following procedure will be used in the following order: (Note: If one of the procedures results in one team being eliminated and two remaining, the two-team tiebreaker procedure as stated in No. 1 above will be used):
Note the part in bold. It'll be important later.
quote:
A. Combined head to head record among the tied teams;
Each team is 1-1 vs each other. Move on to B.
quote:
B. Record of the tied teams within the division;
All 3 teams have identical division records.
quote:
C. Head to head competition against the team within the division with the best overall Conference record (divisional and non divisional) and proceeding through the division (multiple ties within the division will be broken from first to last and a tie for first place will be broken before a tie for fourth place);
All 3 teams have identical records against identical foes.
quote:
D. Overall Conference record against non divisional teams;
All 3 teams are undefeated outside of each other
quote:
E. Combined record against all common non divisional teams;
Once again, all 3 teams are undefeated against everyone else.
quote:
F. Record against the common non divisional team with the best overall Conference record (divisional and non divisional) and proceeding through other common non divisional teams based on their order of finish within their division; and
All 3 teams are undefeated against everyone else, and none have a common non-divisional foe.
quote:
G. Best cumulative Conference winning percentage of non-divisional opponents (Note: If two teams' non-divisional opponents have the same cumulative record, then the two-team tiebreaker procedures apply. If four teams are tied, and three teams' non-divisional opponents have the same cumulative record, the three-team tiebreaker procedures will be used beginning with 2.A.);
Right now, here are the combined records of the three teams East opponents:
LSU: 6-2
Alabama: 4-4
Ole Miss: 4-4
With Alabama and Ole Miss tied, this part kicks in:
quote:
If two teams' non-divisional opponents have the same cumulative record, then the two-team tiebreaker procedures apply
As Alabama owns the head-to-head with Ole Miss, then the following is applied:
quote:
A. Head-to-head competition between the two tied teams;
Which now narrows it down to Alabama and LSU, and in this scenario, LSU goes thanks to the same head-to-head rule.
This means that, if all 3 teams finish 7-1, Ole Miss needs their East foes to finish at least 1 game above Alabama's East foes (presuming LSU's stay above the other 2).
Remaining schedules for each:
LSU Opponents:
Florida - Georgia, Arkansas, LSU, Missouri
Missouri - Georgia, Tennessee, Florida, Arkansas
Alabama Opponents:
Tennessee - Kentucky, Missouri, Georgia, Vanderbilt
Kentucky - Tennessee, Mississippi State, Alabama, South Carolina
Ole Miss Opponents:
Georgia - Florida, Missouri, Ole Miss, Tennessee
Vanderbilt - Ole Miss, Auburn, South Carolina, Tennessee
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Posted on 10/23/23 at 10:45 pm to skrayper
We always root for the team playing Tennessee 
No explanation needed
No explanation needed
Posted on 10/23/23 at 10:45 pm to skrayper
Thanks
Posted on 10/23/23 at 10:46 pm to skrayper
If LSU beats Bama, I’m still not getting my hopes up until the regular season is over after seeing us do everything needed and then collapsed against A&M of all teams last year.
Anything is possible.
Anything is possible.
This post was edited on 10/23/23 at 10:47 pm
Posted on 10/23/23 at 10:47 pm to skrayper
frick you 
Posted on 10/23/23 at 10:52 pm to TDsngumbo
quote:
If LSU beats Bama, I’m still not getting my hopes up until the regular season is over after seeing us do everything needed and then collapsed against A&M of all teams last year.
Anything is possible.
Truer for this season it seems that in seasons past. Hell, we could all end up with 2-losses and then the tie-breaker gets a bit weirder.
Posted on 10/23/23 at 10:58 pm to skrayper
quote:
Best cumulative Conference winning percentage of non-divisional opponents
This will 100% be the bullshite that decides the West.
Posted on 10/23/23 at 11:06 pm to skrayper
I am just cheering for LSU and enjoying other games. Love SEC football.
Posted on 10/24/23 at 12:04 am to skrayper
No need. I have faith in Georgia beating Ole Miss.
Posted on 10/24/23 at 2:25 am to skrayper
quote:
Right now, here are the combined records of the three teams East opponents: LSU: 6-2 Alabama: 4-4 Ole Miss: 4-4 With Alabama and Ole Miss tied, this part kicks in: quote: If two teams' non-divisional opponents have the same cumulative record, then the two-team tiebreaker procedures apply As Alabama owns the head-to-head with Ole Miss, then the following is applied: quote: A. Head-to-head competition between the two tied teams;
Wrong. LSU will own the best out of Division record over the other tied teams and the process will end here. LSU will win Division.
The remainder of tiebreaker rules you quote would apply only if the top two or all three teams are tied out of Division.
Posted on 10/24/23 at 2:34 am to skrayper
This game is irrelevant to this tie breaker since Bama plays KY this year
Posted on 10/24/23 at 5:36 am to LSUNV
quote:
We always root for the team playing Tennessee
Speak for yourself.... because i was not rooting for bama, frick the aggies. You get the picture.
Posted on 10/24/23 at 6:15 am to ifyoubuildit
quote:
Wrong. LSU will own the best out of Division record over the other tied teams and the process will end here. LSU will win Division. The remainder of tiebreaker rules you quote would apply only if the top two or all three teams are tied out of Division
Read the part in bold again.
Posted on 10/24/23 at 6:49 am to skrayper
quote:
Read the part in bold again.
quote:I think you may be wrongly interpreting the bold.
(Note: If one of the procedures results in one team being eliminated and two remaining, the two-team tiebreaker procedure as stated in No. 1 above will be used):
When using Tiebreaker 2, TWO teams would be eliminated (Bama & OM both 4-4) and LSU (6-2) would advance.
The part in bold would only come into play if Tiebreaker 2 results were something like this:
LSU 6-2
Bama 6-2
OM 4-4
In that scenario, then the part in bold would take over.
The tiebreakers aren’t done “survivor style” where only one team gets eliminated each tiebreaker.
In the scenario you presented, bama does not get to survive to the next tiebreaker because it finished 2nd in the previous one.
This post was edited on 10/24/23 at 6:52 am
Posted on 10/24/23 at 6:56 am to GusAU
If two teams' non-divisional opponents have the same cumulative record, then the two-team tiebreaker procedures apply
That portion kicks in.
The purpose of the 3+ way tie breaker is to get it down to two teams. It never determines the winner on its own.
That portion kicks in.
The purpose of the 3+ way tie breaker is to get it down to two teams. It never determines the winner on its own.
Posted on 10/24/23 at 7:17 am to skrayper
quote:I still think you are misinterpreting that tiebreaker.
If two teams' non-divisional opponents have the same cumulative record, then the two-team tiebreaker procedures apply That portion kicks in. The purpose of the 3+ way tie breaker is to get it down to two teams. It never determines the winner on its own.
The part in bold implies if two teams have the same non-divisional cumulative record and are the TOP TWO, then the tiebreaker you reference would take effect.
If any of the teams had beaten both of the other teams, then the 3 team tiebreaker would break the tie at head to head.
I’m not 100% sure I’m right (ETA: Based on my post just after this one, I am now 100% positive I’m right), but if I’m not, then the SEC needs to change their tiebreakers. No team should be able to outright win a 3+ team tiebreaker, but then lose out on a two team tiebreaker.
As I stated earlier, tiebreakers are not done “survivor style”. If any 3+ team tiebreaker eliminates all but ONE team, then the tie is broken with no need to go further.
This post was edited on 10/26/23 at 7:24 pm
Posted on 10/24/23 at 7:20 am to GusAU
I just looked up the tiebreaker system and see that you left out this KEY point:
quote:
Note: If one of the procedures results in one team being eliminated and two remaining, the two-team tiebreaker procedure as stated in No. 1 above will be used):
Posted on 10/24/23 at 7:22 am to GusAU
I didn’t leave that out. I specifically mentioned it.
And nothing says that it comes from the top two. Where are you getting that from?
And nothing says that it comes from the top two. Where are you getting that from?
Posted on 10/24/23 at 7:25 am to skrayper
quote:Common sense
Where are you getting that from?
Posted on 10/24/23 at 7:32 am to skrayper
First off, I now realize I just reposted the same tiebreaker you referenced in bold.
That said, I know I’m right.
In the scenario you presented in the OP, the tiebreaker involving non-divisional cumulative records will eliminate TWO teams (Bama & OM), not just ONE team. Therefore, no need to go to a two team tiebreaker.
That said, I know I’m right.
quote:
Note: If one of the procedures results in one team being eliminated and two remaining, the two-team tiebreaker procedure as stated in No. 1 above will be used):
In the scenario you presented in the OP, the tiebreaker involving non-divisional cumulative records will eliminate TWO teams (Bama & OM), not just ONE team. Therefore, no need to go to a two team tiebreaker.
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