Why Notre Dame football and Big Ten are a threat to SEC (or maybe not)

The first 12-team College Football Playoff projects to be an SEC party – so long as Notre Dame and the Big Ten don’t interfere.

Nine SEC teams profile as a playoff hopefuls. Not all of them can qualify.

Four playoff teams from the SEC seems reasonable. What about five? That’s a stretch, but doable if the SEC catches a few breaks.

On this edition of “SEC Football Unfiltered,” a podcast from the USA TODAY Network, hosts Blake Toppmeyer and John Adams unpack the SEC’s playoff outlook and handicap the hurdles standing in the way of the SEC qualifying as many as five teams.

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Start with the Big Ten, which is the only other conference that could threaten to qualify as many teams as the SEC.

Then, what about Notre Dame? The Irish snagging an at-large bid hurts the SEC’s chances for five, but Texas A&M might wreck Notre Dame in Week 1.

The Big 12 and ACC are sleeper agents that could spoil the SEC’s five-qualifier quest.

TOPPMEYER: If SEC expands again, consider 4 ACC teams. But what about Notre Dame football?

ADAMS: Why nonconference football games will loom larger than ever

SCHEDULE ANALYSIS: Why ESPN can influence debate over SEC football’s conference schedule

Here’s how we see it:

Could the Big Ten qualify five teams?

Adams: Not happening. More like three. Four is pushing it. Not five. The SEC can get five. The Big Ten won’t. Who would even be the five? Ohio State and Oregon look good for the playoff. Maybe Penn State, too. Michigan and Southern Cal are contenders, but I’m not convinced either will qualify, considering their schedules.

Toppmeyer: No. I don’t know if the SEC will qualify five, but it has a better chance to qualify five than the B1G. For starters, the SEC will have more playoff contenders. I count nine playoff hopefuls from the SEC:…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/why-notre-dame-football-big-090225660.html

Author : The Tennessean

Publish date : 2024-06-06 09:02:25

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