The SEC is coming.
With the Faculty Soccer Playoff first-round solely two weeks away — the primary recreation is Friday, Dec. 19 — the sphere is near being set, and the SEC would possibly simply be two outcomes away from ruling the opening weekend of the 12-team playoff.
CFP first-round is perhaps held completely in SEC nation
With a second win this season by No. 9 Alabama (10-2) over No. 3 Georgia (11-1, 7-1 in SEC) within the SEC championship recreation on Saturday (4 p.m. ET, ABC), the convention could possibly be in line to host the 4 first-round playoff video games, so long as No. 4 Texas Tech (11-1, 8-1 in Large 12) additionally wins Saturday’s Large 12 championship (12 p.m. ET, ABC).
In that situation, No. 5 Oregon (11-1, 8-1 in Large Ten) would seemingly transfer into the highest 4 whereas SEC groups would populate Nos. 5-8. The committee’s largest debate could possibly be whether or not Georgia or No. 8 Oklahoma (10-2, 6-2 in SEC) hosts a first-round playoff recreation. The Sooners beat Alabama in Tuscaloosa earlier this season, whereas the Bulldogs went 2-0 in opposition to No. 6 Ole Miss (11-1, 7-1 in SEC) and No. 13 Texas Longhorns (9-3, 6-2 in SEC), the 2 groups that beat Oklahoma.
In 2024, the SEC, the place it purportedly “simply means extra,” performed a lesser function within the playoff; solely three groups (Georgia, Texas and Tennessee) certified for the inaugural 12-team area. The convention went 2-3, with the Longhorns claiming each wins and the Vols and Bulldogs every shedding by double digits.
The SEC ought to depart a a lot larger imprint on 2025. Final season, dwelling groups within the CFP first-round video games went 4-0. All 4 went on to win their quarterfinals, which could possibly be tougher to copy after the CFP decision-makers amended the playoff construction by rewarding the 4 finest groups with byes versus the highest 4 convention champions.
However for a convention that dominated the game for 20 years — claiming 14 nationwide titles from 2003-22 — 2025 has been a little bit of a return to kind for the SEC after failing to position a workforce within the championship recreation the final two seasons. Among the many conferences, it can have essentially the most eggs within the CFP basket. All it wants is for one to hatch.
