The Ledger-Enquirer’s Guerry Clegg has a disturbing vision.
Some of the four-team playoff projections include two SEC teams. That’s going to be hard to pull off. Most of the top SEC contenders play each other. That includes the near-consensus top three SEC teams — Alabama, Auburn and Georgia. With Alabama on Georgia’s schedule this year, there are only two possible scenarios:
Either all three have at least one loss, or one of the three will have two losses and therefore be out of the playoff picture, possibly even with a 10-2 record and top six ranking.
The possibility of a rematch in the SEC Championship Game gives Georgia a slight advantage as far as redemption. On the other hand, the SEC title game also poses greater risk. It will be hard for the selection committee to justify picking a team that just came off a loss over champions from other conferences.
There are some scenarios where that could happen. Say Auburn goes 11-1 with its only loss to Georgia in a tight game. Meanwhile, the Bulldogs go undefeated — which would mean having beaten Alabama, Auburn and Georgia Tech among other possible top 25 teams such as Missouri, South Carolina and Tennessee. Then Auburn beats Georgia in a close game in the rematch. How would they justify leaving off a 12-1 Georgia team?
Are you kidding? I expect Herbie would be reaming out the selection committee on a nightly basis for even considering the possibility of putting non-conference champion Georgia in the semi-finals.
And if you think this is unlikely to happen, as Clegg puts it, “It’s a lot less far-fetched than the 2013 Auburn team beating Georgia and Alabama on back-to-back miracle finishes”. The SECCG probably ends on a Tray Matthews interception.
Sigh. I think I’ve just seen the future of Georgia football.
Get The Picture 
[hugs you]
[writes number down of a therapist, hands to you with tight-lipped half smile]
“It’s not your fault. It’s not your fault. it’s not your fault. Senator, this stuff, it’s not your fault.”
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lol
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The raisin d’etra for the selection committee’s existence is to prevent the SEC from having 2 teams in the playoff. That’s why they don’t just use the computer rankings like they used to during the BCS era. Remember 2011?
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It doesn’t matter how many raisins you et, the problem won’t go away until there are 8 teams in the playoff.
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NOTHING WILL BE SETTLED UNTIL THIRTY TWO TEAMS BATTLE IT OUT. NOTHING
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Got to be 64 teams just like basketball….Wait….What?……….
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I don’t understand the thinking where two teams from one conference desires a spot when one conference is already excluded. It is unrealistic and indefensible.
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Not if those two teams are two of the four best in the country.
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Scenario horribilus….
Georgia runs the table in the regular season but loses to Alabama the second time in the SECC game. Finises 12-1 and is SEC runner up.
Georgia Tech, meanwhile…loses only to Georgia (and very badly) in the regular season, but wins the ACC. 12-1
Same records. GT is ACC champs… Georgia is SEC runner-up..Georgia beat GT badly in season. Who gets in? Georgia as second SEC team or GT..who won a weak conference and lost badly to Georgia.
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Tech gets in every time with this selection committee ’cause the Yeller Jackets are a “conference champion.” That said, if they used computers like the old BCS to do the picking the Dawgs would likely get in.
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Then I would shoot myself.
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GT going 12-1 seems so absurd a possibility it is difficult to take your construct seriously. That said, I see the purpose of the scenario.
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And someone needs to put this scenario (or a comperable one) as a question to the “committee”. We need an answer once and for all..IS it gong to be the “best” four or the “convienient” four”? If it’s the latter, then I’m going to join “Occupy Wallstreet” and camp out at their meetings until they agree to an eight team playoff.
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If we moved to 8 teams we’ll have the same problem with the committee leaving off a team that should have been one of the first 4 selected being left off the 8 teams. the committee is all about politics–not about selecting the best teams.
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“It is unrealistic and indefensible.”
I am shocked and chagrined. Mortified and stupefied. (h/t Jackie Chiles)
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From each according to their ability, to each according to their need.
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That means you would take the team in red, eh?
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Guerry Clegg is an AU homer who “retired” from the newspaper business years ago to become a realtor, and who now writes free lance for the local fishwrap. He probably has a picture of Gus Malzahn over his bed.
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Screw it, just have a 128 team playoff and no season. Everyone just gets in the playoffs. Have 3 preseason games that do not count, but allow for teams to get players game experience. Then have a winner bracket and a loser bracket, so schools that lose 1 game, can keep on going in the loser bracket. Base the 128 team ranking off of the previous season finish.
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What about the elite high school teams?!? Don’t they deserve a chance to prove it on the field too?
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And every player on every team should get a trophy for participating.
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Senator, you are Munsoning waaay too hard. The bare minimum for a 4-team playoff is to win your conference with no more than one loss. If the idea of a Georgia team going 12-0, then losing the SEC Championship and missing the playoff disturbs you enough, then you should be an advocate for an 8-team playoff. Otherwise, no point in dreaming up close-but-no-cigar scenarios or worrying about whether we’ll be in one of those scenarios. Either Georgia gets it done, or we don’t.
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I think what disturbs the Senator is Clegg’s suggestion of a loss to the ACC champion, which, according to Clegg would be Tech. TheJohnson will be giggling all day.
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You need to read the quote again. He’s got Georgia undefeated going into the SECCG.
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“It will be hard for the selection committee to justify picking a team that just came off a loss over champions from other conferences.”
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That’s the quote I misread, I guess.
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He’s not saying Georgia loses to a champion from another conference. He’s saying the selection committee won’t take a P5 non-conference champ over a P5 conference champ.
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Hindsight confused me. 🙂
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I don’t know that I’d find this outcome that much more frustrating than 2007 or even 2013.
That said, if Tray Matthews ever figures prominently in an Auburn win over the ‘Dawgs, I think I’ll just jump off of the top of the stadium.
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Your scenario could very well come about if previous Georgia seasons are the basis. My horror would be beating Alabama. If the Dawgs beat them there is no way in Hades I will watch the Vols game the next week. My heart would just not take the stress. I will just go back and watch the replay of the season blowing loss to Florida. Probable same outcome.
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you’ll watch it jeepn, and you know it. If Georgia beats Alabama, they should handle Tennessee.
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I don’t see ANY SEC team going undefeated….
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It does seem unlikely, especially in the West where there is no clear favorite.
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If Mizzou can get by Georgia, Mizzou has a good shot at being undefeated in the regular season. If the West teams all beat each other and something weird happens (crazy tiebreaker) that allows a team like Ole Miss or Missy State to win the West, Mizzou likely wins the SECCG, too. That said, if in the SECCG Mizzou had to face Bama or Auburn or LSU……….
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Say what?
No really [bong gurgle], what were we talking about?
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Mr. Pink is all-in about Family
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UGA loses regular season to Bama, but otherwise goes undefeated and wins SECCG. We’re in. Bama only looses to Auburn (who only looses to us) so we face Auburn and beat them again in the SECCG (how sweet!). Bama is sitting on the fence at with only one loss and probably ranked in the top 4 having beaten the SEC Champion.
THAT’s the nightmare scenario for the committee if the other P5 conferences have even reasonable top 6 teams in the mix as well.
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File this under “things we don’t have to worry about “. I’m much more worried about our annual face plant than being snubbed the media or committee. It’s always been the former that’s kept us on the outside looking into the championship picture not the latter.
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^^^THIS^^^
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I’d argue its been a combination of the two
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How? In 02 Ohio state and Miami were undefeated. In 07 we lost to a 6 win south Carolina team and absolutely got our doors blown off by Tennessee. Sec champion lsu had 2 overtime losses and Ohio state had 1 loss. Oklahoma and USC in some ways had a better case before bowl season for going to the bcsnc than Georgia. In 2012 we played in effectively a national championship semi final and lost. We have never had an auburn 2004 type season where we can legitimately say we were screwed by forces outside of our control. Also the media does not have an anti Georgia bias, they’re just tired of us burning them by promptly shitting the bed anytime they show us some love. See Clemson game last year.
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You can say that again. I wouldn’t bet a six pack of beer on Richt getting past Spurrier’s chickens at this point. Many on here are wondering which level seating they are going to shell out for in the GA Dome. Whatever.
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USC SR. goes undefeated, tOSU undefeated, TCU undefeated, FSU undefeated…we win the SECCG with one loss to a 6-5 hapless Vawls squad…..we get nothing but a reach around. THAT would be the nightmare season.
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Wow. This is some really proactive self-loathing. Senator, are you Jewish?
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“The Ledger-Enquirer’s Guerry Clegg has a disturbing vision.”
Spoiler alert: Who doesn’t?
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Sir, what is Guerry Clegg smoking?
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