One of the bigger discussions that is being talked about in the landscape of college football is which two-loss SEC team deserves to get that extra bid to the BCS despite not winning their conference.
The most feared conference in college football is still the gauntlet known as the SEC, has currently six teams ranked in the top 10 of the BCS Standings.
As the way it stands right now, we have a bunch of one and two-loss SEC teams that can play their way towards a BCS at-large berth.
If two of the current top three teams in the BCS remain unblemished, then it’s very likely that there will not be an SEC team in the BCS title for the first time in seven seasons. However, the conference will still get two teams into the BCS and that is what is stirring up a ton of controversy with just three weeks remaining.
The way it stands now is that Alabama and Georgia are fourth and fifth, with the loser of the conference championship getting dropped like a bad habit despite presumably finishing with a strong 11-2 record.
The reason the team would likely head to the Capital One Bowl is — simply put because we have Texas A&M, LSU, Florida and South Carolina still hanging around from sixth to ninth in the latest BCS standings.
In two weeks we will officially see how much South Carolina and Florida have improved or worsened since they have not faced elite competition as of late. The Gators haven’t been able to complete a ton of forward passes and South Carolina has lost some of its luster without Marcus Lattimore. The two teams wrap up the regular season against in-state rivals and the top two teams from the ACC.
Clemson is sitting pretty for a BCS at-large bid if the Tigers can get by South Carolina, especially since they will have home-field advantage. The sensational offense led by Tajh, Andre Ellington, DeAndre Hopkins and Sammy Watkins has enabled them to post gaudy numbers. They will be challenged by a very good SC defense, but most are not talking about The Battle of the Palmetto State.
Instead, everybody is talking about how Florida State will be looking for its third straight victory over Florida, who had won the previous six meetings. Plus, if there is a disaster monsoon of teams losing in the likes of Kansas State, Oregon and Notre Dame, then potentially the sunshine state can have the looks of a dream national play-in game.
While planets would have to align for that to happen, at the very worst the game will have BCS bowl implications.
LSU or Texas A&M are the front-runners to steal that second bid from the SEC, but it’s the Gators that are ranked third in the computer ranks. LSU is seventh and the Aggies at the moment are only eighth, so Florida wouldn’t fall so long as the team continues to win.
Many are expecting the Seminoles defense to bottle up an offense that could be without starting quarterback Jeff Driskel (ankle). Jacoby Brissett has already been listed as the starter and he did not perform well last season against the ‘Noles.
In fact, that game featured minimal yardage as FSU only put together 95 yards of offense but punished the Gators thanks to a defensive touchdown and four forced turnovers from John Brantley and Brissett (Note: Jeff Driskel will be expected to start).
A loss for the Gators in Tallahassee simply knocks them back a notch to an Outback Bowl bid, and South Carolina would also take a dive to the Chick-Fil-A Bowl in Atlanta.
While the SEC will be slight underdogs in those two contests, they would make it interesting for the selection committee if they would be ranked in the top five or six.
That said, these things always seem to pan out and it could simply come down to who looks more impressive down the stretch: A&M or LSU?
The Bayou Bengals and the Aggies already played not too long ago (Oct. 20) and LSU shut down Johnny Manziel and that offense in the second half. While they have a much stronger case than A&M because of that, the BCS is still about the team that is playing the best when all is said and done.
Plus, the most marketable player out there these days not named Collin Klein would be Johnny Manziel and the faithful of A&M looks like they currently have the slightest of edges as of now.
Rankings Current SEC Teams If They End All Up With Two Losses
1. LSU
2. A&M
4. UF
5. SC
Follow @Dan Vasta and like Gridiron Grit on Facebook
