SEC East Is Still Wide Open
MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Barring a complete collapse against the Auburn Tigers, the Alabama Crimson Tide is likely headed back to Atlanta for the SEC Championship in early December. Who the Crimson Tide will play from the SEC East may not be decided until the final week of the regular season.
There are still multiple scenarios for who will face Alabama, the ones included here are just a sampling.
The Missouri Tigers have the easiest path to Atlanta. If Missouri wins out its final two games against Ole Miss and Texas A&M; the Tigers will punch their own ticket to Atlanta. But, if Missouri is tripped up by the Rebels or Aggies, things go from clear to crazy very quickly.
Missouri can still win the division in a tie with the Georgia Bulldogs and South Carolina Gamecocks if the Tigers lose just once against Ole Miss or Texas A&M. If, South Carolina beats Florida, and Georgia beats Auburn and Kentucky, the tie-breaker would be the best division record, which Missouri has at 5-1.
But, Mizzou can also lose the division by losing just once to Ole Miss or Texas A&M. If South Carolina beats Florida, and Georgia loses to Auburn or Kentucky; the Gamecocks go to Atlanta thanks to the double-overtime win over Missouri just a few weeks ago, according to Saturdays Down South.
In other words, if both Georgia and Missouri lose just one more game; the Gamecocks are handed the keys to the SEC Championship game against Alabama. But, if Georgia stuns Auburn on Saturday and then beats Kentucky next weekend, USC is out due to a loss to Georgia to start the season.
Confused yet?
Missouri is off this weekend before facing Ole Miss on the road on November 23rd and Texas A&M at home on November 30. South Carolina winds up its conference slate this weekend with a game against the Florida Gators. USC also has games against Clemson and Coastal Carolina out of conference.
Georgia plays at Auburn on Saturday and then winds up its SEC schedule at home against the Kentucky Wildcats. Georgia also has an out-of-conference game against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets on November 30.
Things should become much clearer Saturday night after the Georgia vs. Auburn game and the South Carolina vs. Florida game.
While the Tigers would cherish a berth in the SEC Championship Game in the school's second year in the conference; bigger things may await Mizzou if they lose before the championship game.
The Sugar Bowl rarely takes the SEC runner-up and assuming Auburn and Missouri would have two losses; the BCS bowl may be willing to take Missouri to match up against an explosive offense like Baylor.
Regardless, if Missouri loses just one more game, it should still be guaranteed at least a January bowl game at the end of the season, which is quite a turnaround for a program that went 5-7 last year.
