CURRENT SEC PECKING ORDER
1a. Florida. 10-0 (8-0), remaining schedule: vs. FIU, vs. Florida St.
1b. Alabama. 10-0 (8-0): vs. UT-Chattanooga, @Auburn.
3. LSU. 8-2 (4-2): @Ole Miss, vs. Arkansas.
4. Ole Miss. 7-3 (3-3): vs. LSU, @Miss. St.
5. Georgia. 6-4 (4-3): vs. Kentucky, @Georgia Tech.
6. Auburn. 7-4 (3-4): vs. Alabama.
7. Tennessee. 5-5 (2-4): vs. Vandy, @Kentucky.
8. Arkansas. 6-4 (2-4): vs. Miss. St., @LSU.
9. South Carolina. 6-5 (3-5): vs. Clemson.
10. Kentucky. 6-4 (2-4): @Georgia, vs. Tennessee.
11? Miss. St. 4-6 (2-4): vs. Arkansas, @Ole Miss.
Good heavens, what a muddle.The dream of six different 7-5 SEC teams remains alive, though barely.
AS A REMINDER, YOUR SEC TIE-INS
1. BCS Bowl 1 2. BCS Bowl 2 3. Capital One 4a. Cotton 4b. Outback 4c. Chik-Fil-A 7a. Music City 7b. Liberty 9. Independence 10. Papajohns.com
For more info, click here.
ONE MAN’S GUESS AT HOW THE NON-AUBURN PORTION OF THE SEC WILL SHAKE OUT
1. Florida (12-0) 2. Alabama (12-0) 3. LSU (9-3/8-4) 4. Ole Miss (8-4) 5. Georgia (8-4/7-5) 6. Tennessee (7-5) 7. Arkansas (8-4/7-5) 8. South Carolina (7-5/6-6) 9. Kentucky (7-5/6-6) 10? Miss. St. (not likely to make 6-6)
MEANING THAT IF AUBURN FINISHES 7-5
It depends. Auburn is rooting like crazy for LSU: if Ole Miss knocks off the Tigers in Oxford this week, you can just about peg the Rebels for the Cap One, LSU for the Cotton, and Auburn for Nashville or Memphis. Likewise, if the Hogs take care of business against MSU and upset LSU the last week of the season, they’ll leapfrog Auburn in the pecking order faster than a … a … leaping frog. Or something.
LSU winning out, however, would send Los Otros Tigres to the Cap One and leave the Cotton with some seriously lacking options: an Ole Miss team that was just there last season, 7-5 Auburn coming off of a two-game losing streak, 7-5 Arkansas whose biggest win came over Auburn back in Week 6, or 7-5 Tennessee. As I’ve said for the last couple of weeks, it’s possible they pick Auburn out of this group, but I’m betting they take the hype-magnet Vols unless for some weird reason the Outback only has eyes for Lane. Better bet: 8-4 Ole Miss goes to Tampa, Vols go to Dallas.
And unless Georgia takes the pipe against both Kentucky and Tech, the Dawgs go to Atlanta. No way the Chik-Fil-A folks pass on the home crowd in this economy, especially if they can rig a Georgia-Clemsonmatchup that would have both fanbases (or at least, the longer-memoried parts of both fanbases) foaming at the mouth.
Which sends Auburn to either the Music City or Liberty. As I’m guessing the Liberty would rather take a likely 7-5 Hog team, I’m guessing that means Nashville.
AND IN THE EXCEEDINGLY UNLIKELY EVENT AUBURN FINISHES 8-4
It all hinges on LSU-Ole Miss: if the Rebels win and go to the Cap One, the Tigers go Outback. If LSU wins and heads to Orlando, Auburn will go to the Cotton. I think it’s pretty much that cut and dry unless LSU loses both of their final two games and Miss. St. upsets the Rebels; that might get Auburn to the Cap One, but that kind of scenario is way, way too far-flung to contemplate.
AND FINALLY, THIS WEEK’S FINAL OFFICIAL WBE SEC BOWL PROJECTION
We’re right back to where we were two weeks ago:
Florida (12-0) to BCS Championship, Alabama (12-0) to Sugar, LSU (9-3) to Capital One, Ole Miss (8-4) to Outback, Tennessee (7-5) to Cotton, Georgia (7-5) to Chik-Fil-A, Arkansas (7-5) to Liberty, Auburn (7-5) to Music City, South Carolina (6-6) to Independence, Kentucky (6-6) to Papajohns.com.
Auburn’s potential opponent in Nashville could be any number of ACC teams: Boston College, North Carolina, Florida St., or even Duke. UNC seems maybe the most likely candidate, since FSU’s likely to wind up at 6-6 (thanks to the Gators) and the Eagles played the Music City last year.
You say Arkansas’ biggest win was over Auburn. What was Auburn’s biggest win?
…..Just by the numbers, West Virginia was Auburn’s biggest win. In the SEC, it’s easily Ole Miss. Could have been Tennessee, till the Vols rolled over on run D against the Rebels.
So what is the point of mentioning Arkansas biggest win was Auburn? Is it to point out that Ark is not that good because they were able to beat a weak Auburn?
Come the end of next week Ark and Auburn will both be at 7-5/3-4. Where does that put them then?
To correct myself they’ll both be at 7-4/3-4 at the end of the week.
The Cotton would take Arkansas over Auburn. Greater fan base, Jerryworld, and of course who doesn’t want to see Mallett throw for over 400 yards.
Auburn is boring.
One thing I do miss about Blogger: it did a much nicer job of keeping the trolls at bay.
Wouldn’t the Chik-fil-a Bowl like Auburn since we would be more likely to fill up the Atlanta-area hotels? I would think most Georgia fans could just make it a day trip. Over the last 20 years, we have been in that bowl as many times as Georgia (4). Just a thought.
I’ll say Auburn goes to Music City Bowl
Regarding the projection of Tenn going to the Cotton, ChickfilA officials were scouting Tenn.
Dallas, please
I say Marlarky is a well named Arky Phail troll…..
I say Arky’s best win so far is Auburn…
AU’s best win would be WbyGodVa, then Ole Miss and Tenn..
Hotlanta would be my hope…
WDE Jerry!! Your blog is the best!
Have a happy Thanksgiving…
I can see Auburn going to a number of places
Shreveport is a place where uncool Mississippi casinos go to die. But hey, the new Boardwalk is fun. I stayed in Bossier City, which was…. ok. Just be sure to do a good background check on hotels.
Nashville is always a fun city. Some diss the Music City Bowl, but they do a really good job with it.
Can’t comment on Liberty and Memphis since I haven’t been there in ages. Still, it can’t be that bad if BBQ and Football are offered together.
Dallas was a great trip. I was still in the marching band in 2005, and they really showed us a good time. Cotton Bowl is old, but has been renovated (oddly enough, I now work for the group that designed the renovation).
TD, good to see you. In that Internet sense. Thanks for the comments, and I agree that if we can’t have the Cotton–which they’ve moved to the JerryDome, btw, so the Cotton Bowl renovation is sorta irrelevant for our purposes–both Nashville and Memphis would be perfectly acceptable replacements.
Good to see you’re still out there, TideDruid.
Is it okay that I didn’t even bother reading the “AND IN THE EXCEEDINGLY UNLIKELY EVENT AUBURN FINISHES 8-4” section?
I don’t have the heart to dream that dream right now.
I’m in for trips to Nashville, Memphis (would stay in tunica), or Dallas. I’m just tired of Atlanta. I have family there. I go to Braves games there. I’ve been to 3 Peach Bowls. Would much rather just win next weekend and go to Dallas 🙂
AVOID THE RUSH, HATE BAMA NOW!