SEC vs. ACC: Can bowl games earn conference bragging rights?

Rivalry week has been unkind to the SEC in the past two seasons against ACC foes.

Louisville has won both games against Kentucky (five in a row overall), Clemson has won two straight over South Carolina and Georgia has split its last two meetings with Georgia Tech.

Last year’s bowls were a bit kinder, as South Carolina clipped Miami in the Independence Bowl and Georgia swatted Louisville in the Belk Bowl to offset a Georgia Tech victory over Mississippi State in the Orange Bowl.

So that’s a 3-8 record head-to-head against the ACC in the past two seasons.

The league will have at least two chances for redemption as Mississippi State faces N.C. State in the Belk Bowl and Texas A&M squares off with Louisville in the Music City Bowl.

Of course, there could be a third match-up between the conferences if both Alabama and Clemson win against Michigan State and Oklahoma, respectively.

Let’s break it down:

BELK BOWL

This will be a virtual home game for the Wolfpack, as the contest will be played a couple of hours from Raleigh in Charlotte.

Mississippi State is a five-point favorite for a reason, however, and N.C. State has struggled against dual-threat quarterbacks this season.

Clemson’s Deshaun Watson accounted for 437 total yards and six touchdowns in a 56-41 win over the Wolfpack. North Carolina’s Marquise Williams led the Tar Heels to a 35-0 first-quarter lead over the Wolfpack in a 45-34 win.

Watching that tape, the Bulldogs and Dak Prescott probably have a few ideas on how to send the best quarterback in school history out with a bang.

The Wolfpack can score, but this is a poor match-up for them on defense.

MUSIC CITY BOWL

If Kyle Allen were starting at quarterback, Texas A&M might be a big favorite over Louisville in Nashville on Dec. 30.

Heck, if it was definite that Kyler Murray would be available for the Aggies, they’d still be a good pick.

But who will play quarterback for A&M has yet to be announced. Las Vegas is unsure, either taking the game off the board, or listing it as a pick ’em, depending on the shop.

If Murray indeed moves on, it would likely be Jake Hubenak and his 27 career pass attempts at the controls for the Aggies. If that happens, it might take a big day from RB Tra Carson and the Aggie defense to beat back the Cardinals.

FOR ALL THE MARBLES

The ultimate trump card in the ACC/SEC rivalry would be a win by Alabama over Clemson in the national title game. Of course, we’re a long way from that game right now — Oklahoma and Michigan State would just as soon have a Big 12/Big Ten game in Glendale, Ariz., on Jan. 11.

The winner of a hypothetical Clemson-Alabama game would not only be crowned as the nation’s best team, but its fans would get to chant “SEC, SEC” — or the alternative — in the game’s final minutes.

Bragging rights don’t get any better than that.

Randy Capps

Randy Capps is a contributing writer for Saturday Down South. He covers SEC football, South Carolina and Georgia.