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As the College Football Playoff committee showed in its first set of rankings released Tuesday night, it believes the best teams prove themselves by beating top-quality opponents.
Thus, Alabama with one loss, was slotted at No. 4 ahead of eight unbeaten teams. The Crimson Tide owns a 3-1 record against teams in the AP Top 25 when the game was played.
This season, the SEC is 2-3 against Top 25 teams at the time the game was played. Recent losses to Memphis and Houston pulled down the conference’s record.
Only a few likely top 25 non-conference opponents remain on the schedule for SEC teams: Florida plays host to No. 17 Florida State and South Carolina plays host to No. 3 Clemson on November 28.
Here’s a list of how SEC teams have fared against AP Top 25 (on the date of the game) competition and what, if any, current AP Top 25 teams remain on their schedule:
EAST DIVISION
Florida (1-1): Beat Ole Miss, lost to LSU; Remaining: Nov. 28 vs. No. 17 Florida.
Tennessee (1-2): Lost to Oklahoma, Beat Georgia, lost to Alabama. Remaining: None.
Georgia (0-2): Lost to Alabama, lost to Florida. Remaining: None.
Kentucky (1-0): Beat Missouri. Remaining: None.
Missouri (0-1): Lost to Florida. Remaining: Nov. 5 vs. No. 24 Mississippi State.
South Carolina (0-3): Lost to Georgia, lost to LSU, lost to Texas A&M. Remaining: Nov. 14 vs. No. 11 Florida, Nov. 28 vs. No. 3 Clemson.
Vanderbilt (0-3): Lost to Georgia, lost to Ole Miss, lost to Houston. Remaining: Nov. 7 at No. 11 Florida, Nov. 21 vs. No. 25 Texas A&M.
WEST DIVISION
LSU (3-0): Beat Mississippi State, beat Auburn, beat Florida; Remaining: Nov. 7 at No. 7 Alabama, Nov. 21 at No. 19 Ole Miss.
Alabama (3-1): Beat Wisconsin, lost to Ole Miss, beat Georgia, beat Texas A&M; Remaining: Nov. 7 vs. No. 4 LSU, Nov. 14 at No. 24 Mississippi State.
Ole Miss (1-2): Beat Alabama, lost to Florida, L, Memphis. Remaining: Nov. 21 vs. No. 4 LSU, Nov. 28 at No. 24 Mississippi State.
Texas A&M (2-2): Beat Arizona State, beat Mississippi State, lost to Alabama, lost to Ole Miss; Remaining: Nov. 28 at No. 4 LSU.
Mississippi State (0-2): Lost to LSU, lost to Texas A&M; Remaining: Nov. 14 vs. No. 7 Alabama, No. 28 vs. No. 19 Ole Miss.
Auburn (0-2): Lost to LSU, lost to Ole Miss; Remaining: Nov. 7 at No. 25 Texas A&M, Nov. 28 vs. No. 7 Alabama.
Arkansas: (0-2): lost to Texas A&M, lost to Alabama; Remaining: Nov. 7 at No. 19 Ole Miss; Nov. 14 at No. 4 LSU, Nov. 21 vs. No. 24 Mississippi State.
