SEC Bowl projections following Week 13: Well, that was unexpected…

Week 13 was always going to be chaotic. But it’s hard to think anyone saw it being that chaotic.

Alabama, Ole Miss, Texas A&M, BYU, Colorado and Indiana all lost this weekend. Penn State came very close to losing as well. What’s worse, all these teams lost to unranked opponents (apart from BYU, which has now lost 2 straight.) This begs the question… does anyone in the SEC actually want to go to the College Football Playoff?

Well, Tennessee, Georgia and Texas seem willing, at least. The Vols and Bulldogs took care of business against cupcake opponents while Texas took a slight step up in competition, beating Kentucky by 3 possessions.

I stand by what I said last week – this Longhorns team still hasn’t proven anything against ranked competition. But at this point, thanks to losses from teams in the above paragraph, the Longhorns are in great shape for a spot in the field whether they win or lose Saturday at Texas A&M.

In fairness to the Longhorns, it’s not advisable to compare Texas’s situation to the likes of Indiana or Penn State. That’s why they’re going to get a Playoff spot. Sure, Texas hasn’t scored a win over a current Playoff team – but they have performed well in the games that other Playoff hopefuls have not. The Longhorns are undefeated against Kentucky, Vanderbilt, Florida and Oklahoma – something Ole Miss and Alabama can’t say.

Switching gears. Tennessee has to earn its spot in Week 14 against Vanderbilt. Georgia clinched a spot in the SEC Championship game, so it has a few options: Beat Georgia Tech and/or win the SEC. I expect the Bulldogs to do both.

Let’s move on to the teams on the outside looking in, starting with South Carolina. The Gamecocks have a very real shot at cracking the field, but they’d need some help.

First, the Gamecocks have to beat Clemson. Next, they’d need Miami to win the ACC over SMU or for the Mustangs to lose in Week 14. Alabama and Ole Miss have an argument for their potential spot if this happens, but South Carolina is playing its best football to end the year – I’d be surprised if it’s left out to provide a spot for the Crimson Tide or Rebels.

Texas A&M gets the Citrus Bowl if it can beat Texas and earn a trip to the SEC Championship game. That leaves Alabama with the ReliaQuest Bowl and Ole Miss at the Gator Bowl.

South Carolina’s chances, though still alive, aren’t great. However, they will secure a better bowl and project to face off against Washington State.

Oklahoma, Florida and Arkansas all eclipsed 6 wins on Saturday, leaving just one more team still in question: Auburn. The Tigers can reach a bowl with a win over rival Alabama.

Until next week, college football.

College Football Playoff

Sugar Bowl: Oregon vs. 8/9 winner

Rose Bowl: Georgia vs. 7/10 winner

Peach Bowl: Miami vs. 6/11 winner

Fiesta Bowl: Boise State vs. 5/12 winner

First Round

From Columbus, Ohio: No. 5 Ohio State vs. No. 12 Arizona State

From South Bend, Indiana: No. 6 Notre Dame vs. No. 11 SMU

From Happy Vally, Pennsylvania: No. 7 Penn State vs. No. 10 Indiana

From Knoxville, Tennessee: No. 8 Tennessee vs. No. 9 Texas

The Rest

Citrus Bowl: Texas A&M vs. Illinois

ReliaQuest Bowl: Alabama vs. Iowa

Las Vegas Bowl: South Carolina vs. Washington State

Texas Bowl: LSU vs. Texas Tech

Music City Bowl: Mizzou vs. Michigan

Gator Bowl: Ole Miss vs. Louisville

Liberty Bowl: Florida vs. Kansas State

Birmingham Bowl: Vanderbilt vs. Cincinnati

Gasparilla Bowl: Oklahoma vs. Kansas

Frisco Bowl: Arkansas vs. West Virginia

Ethan Stone

Ethan Stone is a Tennessee graduate and loves all things college football and college basketball. Firm believer in fouling while up 3.