The SEC's path to placing five or more teams in the 12-team College Football Playoff hinges on its frontrunners winning out and the strength of several 9-3 teams' résumés compared to other Power Four conferences. CBS Sports projects five SEC teams in the final bracket, including a potential first-round matchup between Tennessee and Texas. The selection committee's new strength-of-conference metric favors the league, but final bids will depend on results over the next three weekends.
Key Scenarios for Five Bids
Multiple combinations could yield five SEC selections. In one scenario, Georgia wins the SEC Championship, Alabama finishes as runner-up, Kentucky wins out to reach 10-2, Texas loses to LSU but beats Arkansas and Texas A&M to finish 9-3, and Tennessee wins out to finish 10-2. Another scenario swaps LSU for Kentucky as a 9-3 team with wins over Texas and Tennessee. A third scenario has Alabama winning the title, Georgia losing to South Carolina and Alabama to finish 10-3, South Carolina winning out to finish 9-3, Tennessee winning out, and Texas finishing 9-3. A fourth scenario replaces South Carolina with Kentucky as a 10-2 team.
Team-by-Team Breakdown
Georgia (8-1) is the likeliest to finish 11-1 and earn a top-four seed and bye. Alabama (7-2) has a favorable remaining schedule and could finish 10-2. Texas (7-2) leads all teams with four ranked wins; a 9-3 finish would keep them at the top of the three-loss group. Tennessee (7-2) has two top-10 wins and is projected to win out for a 10-2 record. Kentucky (7-2) sits on the bubble at 9-3 if it wins its final three games. South Carolina (6-3) needs an upset over Georgia to reach 9-3 with seven straight wins. LSU (6-3) must win out, including over Texas and Tennessee, to build a ranked-win résumé. Ole Miss (6-3) lacks a quality win and needs other teams to falter while passing the eye test in its final games.
The final three weeks of the regular season will determine how many SEC teams ultimately make the playoff field.
