The College Football Playoff Rankings are set to tell the nation a tone about their favorite conference. But, as the saying goes in the SEC, the reactive rankings from Week 13 ahead of Week 14 are set to mean more.
Let’s predict where each SEC team will find themselves following the action of Week 13 and ahead of Week 14, so we have the proverbial lay of the land of what needs to happen this weekend.
College Football Playoff Ranking Predictions In the SEC
Let’s take a stab at where each SEC Team will likely find themselves in the next College Football Playoff Rankings:
- No. 3 — Texas Longhorns
- No. 7 — Georgia Bulldogs
- No. 8 — Tennessee Volunteers
- No. 13 — South Carolina Gamecocks
- No. 14 — Alabama Crimson Tide
- No. 16 — Ole Miss Rebels
- No. 18 — Texas A&M Aggies
- No. 21 — Missouri Tigers
MORE: Simulate the College Football Season with CFN’s College Football Playoff Predictor
The movement here from the SEC is going to be quite interesting. How much will the committee value in-conference losses from Alabama and Ole Miss and the fact that it’s a play-in game for Texas A&M vs. Texas in Week 14?
At this rate, here’s how I’d expect it to fall overall:
- Oregon Ducks (–)
- Ohio State Buckeyes (–)
- Texas Longhorns (–)
- Notre Dame Fighting Irish (+1)
- Penn State Nittany Lions (-1)
- Miami Hurricanes (+2)
- Georgia Bulldogs (+3)
- Tennessee Volunteers (+3)
- Indiana Hoosiers (-4)
- SMU Mustangs (+3)
- Boise State Broncos (+1)
- Clemson Tigers (+5)
- South Carolina Gamecocks (+5)
- Alabama Crimson Tide (-7)
- Arizona State Sun Devils (+6)
- Ole Miss Rebels (-7)
- Iowa State Cyclones (+5)
- Texas A&M Aggies (-3)
- Tulane Green Wave (+1)
- UNLV Rebels (+4)
- Missouri Tigers (+2)
- Illinois Fighting Illini (+3)
- BYU Cougars (-9)
- Colorado Buffalos (-8)
- Kansas State Wildcats (NR)
* these are my predictions based on how I would rank the teams following last week’s CFP committee rankings, so working within the confines of not dropping teams too much or moving teams up too much
Time will only tell, but the way that this top 25 shakes out gives Clemson and South Carolina the chance to play themselves in to the playoff picture in their annual rivalry game. It also gives Alabama a chance if they can win convincingly in the Iron Bowl in Week 14.
As far as Texas A&M, they’re the most disappointing three-loss SEC team who still technically controls their own destiny and can make it via the conference championship.
MORE: SEC Championship Game Scenarios Ahead of Week 14
At this point, you can guarantee Texas in the playoffs, that’s about it. Even if we know Georgia will beat Georgia Tech in Week 14.
If Tennessee beats Vanderbilt in Week 14, they’re in. The wild cards will absolutely be Alabama and Ole Miss, who will likely sit on the fringe of the top 12 seeds, needing some help to get there independent of their own results in Week 14.
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