Interesting hypothetical from this week’s Mailbag, which riffed off an earlier prediction of his that this year’s predicted playoff field would be comprised of No. 1 Florida State, No. 2 Auburn, No. 3 UCLA and No. 4 Georgia:
Of course I will admit the UGA/Auburn scenario might be a tad far-fetched. While we know it’s entirely possible, if not likely, that two SEC teams will get in, we assume they’d come from the same division. In this case, I’m picking the Dawgs and Tigers to both get in after meeting twice. I have Georgia winning the Nov. 15 meeting in Athens, then Auburn winning the Dec. 7 rematch in Atlanta.
If this were the BCS, Georgia would be done. In the playoff, however, if the committee feels the Dawgs are still one of the best four teams, then so be it. They’d have a strong case, too, having beaten three preseason Top 15 teams in Auburn, Clemson and South Carolina. They probably would have to be undefeated going into the SEC title game, though, and maybe that’s a stretch. But hey, the committee’s going to pick the best four teams; as of today I think FSU, Auburn, UCLA and Georgia are the best four teams.
That’s really the big question we have right now, isn’t it? What kind of selection committee do we have? Is Mandel being realistic here? I have my doubts, even if Auburn and Georgia both finish with only one loss, because that SECCG result is going to be fresh on the minds of a number of people who are going to be prone to spreading the playoff slots around to the power conferences. Not to mention that if the committee let both in, it could be setting up a potential third meeting between the two in consecutive months.
I’d like him to be right, even if the two schools are from another conference. I suspect his buddies from Montana would agree. But none of us are serving on that committee.
Get The Picture 
The only team that could possibly get it without wining their conference is Bama and even that seems like a stretch too me. The Dawgs would not have a snowball’s chance in hell of getting in without an SEC title under their arms.
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You may be right. I expect Georgia to get screwed, maybe not this year, but relatively soon in the process.
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Agreed. Lose the SECCG, if indeed we make it, and we are doomed.
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It’s an interesting scenario.
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if the other possible representatives each have 2 losses, its conceivable. If the sec runner-up is 12-1, was dominant in the regular season and lost a close seccg it could happen.
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I think it’s more likely that a 1-loss or 2-loss team that doesn’t make the SEC title game gets in. Like UGA 2007, Bama 2011, or UF 2012.
The loss of the SEC title game is just too fresh on the minds. Better off not even making it to Atlanta…which is of course why playoffs suck.
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And in a very big way way why championship games suck, too.
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Win and you are in, playoffs rule…along with Championship games.
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So everybody like OU, OSU, UCLA, FSU etc. should line-up all OOC cupcakes and pray their conference foes stay weak? Ignoring SoS and inability to play more playoff eligible opponents (like in the NFL) is one of the biggest flaws in this playoff scheme. Undefeated Boise St, should jump a one-loss SEC Champion? If not, then it’s hypocritical to state “just win ’em all Baby!”
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“So everybody like OU, OSU, UCLA, FSU etc. should line-up all OOC cupcakes and pray their conference foes stay weak?”
That pretty much sums it up.
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He says this happens usually with two teams from the same division and I guess it did the one time it happened with the BCS but there is another scenario where they could be one from each division. Say UGA has one loss and then beats either a one loss or undefeated Auburn in the SECCG but the runner up in the West is a one loss Bama. The committee could choose Bama to be in the last four with UGA.
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That would seem likely. And an easy way to get two teams in. But not the other way around. If it were us with 1 loss and not in the SECCG, we’ll get screwed and left out.
Maybe I’m just beat down after 2007, but that just seems to be the way it is.
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You mean the idea of UGA playing Auburn three times in six weeks doesn’t get the Montana juices flowing?
But no way a playoff could devalue the regular season. Or the league championship. No way.
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Got to believe a 2 loss BIG xx champ from either conference jumps the SECCG loser in that scenario because of SEC fatigue, money allocation, fan interest and TV overlords.
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Georgia would’ve gotten in after the 2012 SECCG.
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Georgia would get in if there is an 8-team playoff.
Let’s face it, we think that , if given the chance, the Dawgs would acquit themselves well against the UCLAs, the AUs, any Big 10, Big12, little Aholes, whatever, just as long as these guys can get into the mix. The country could then see the Dawg teams we yowl and bark about that represent in the toughest conference out there.
Mandel now has our flavor (thanks to the Mt Project) and has begun to look closely at what we have jumped up and down against the kennel gates about. Don’t think he is correct with Aub and UCLA in there, but at least he has the Dawgs in mind. Somebody needs to send him a collar with a Dawg tag on it.
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