SEC Bowl tie-ins and a potentially big mess

[PettysDumpster]

With the top 3 BCS slots likely to be occupied by the SEC West this week, it seems highly likely that the BCS National Championship game will feature a rematch of either LSU/Bama or Ark/Bama. I'm assuming that the Sugar Bowl takes the next highest BCS rated SEC team,which should be the loser of the LSU/Arkansas game. If that pattern holds true, then the conference is counting on us, Vandy, and UT to win next weekend in order to fill all of our important bowl slots and still not have enough to fill the BBVA Compass slot (big deal). If we place 3 in the BCS, talk about backing up the Brinks truck... Damn.<div>
</div><div>However, in the unlikely scenario that we lose the Egg Bowl, UK snaps its futility record against UT, and Vandy loses on the road to a respectable Wake Forest team, then the conference will be unable to fill the Gator, Music City, and Liberty Bowls for lack of available squads.</div><div>
</div><div><div>If Everybody Qualifies... (State OV Ole Miss, Vandy OV Wake Forest, Tenn OV UK)</div><div>
</div><div>BCSCG: LSU vs. Bama</div><div>
</div><div>Sugar: <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre; "> </span>#1 Arkansas</div><div>Capital One: <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre; "> </span>#2 Georgia</div><div>Cotton: <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre; "> </span>#3 South Carolina</div><div>Outback: <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre; "> </span>#4 Auburn</div><div>Chick Fil-A: <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre; "> </span>#5 Tennessee</div><div>Gator: <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre; "> </span>#6 Florida</div><div>Music City: <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre; "> </span>#7 Miss State</div><div>Liberty: <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre; "> </span>#8 Vandy</div><div>BBVA Compass:<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre; "> </span>#9 Sun Belt</div></div><div>
</div><div><div>If Nobody Qualifies... (Ole Miss OV State, Wake Forest OV Vandy, UK OV Tenn)</div><div>
</div><div>BCSCG: LSU vs. Bama</div><div>
</div><div>Sugar: <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-spacere"> </span>#1 Arkansas</div><div>Capital One: <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-spacere"> </span>#2 Georgia</div><div>Cotton: <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-spacere"> </span>#3 South Carolina</div><div>Outback: <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-spacere"> </span>#4 Auburn</div><div>Chick Fil-A: <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-spacere"> </span>#5 Florida</div><div>Gator: <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-spacere"> </span>#6 ??</div><div>Music City: <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-spacere"> </span>#7 ??</div><div>Liberty: <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-spacere"> </span>#8 ??</div><div>BBVA Compass: <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-spacere"> </span>#9 Sun Belt</div></div>

 

[615dawg]

BCS standings are likely to be:

1. LSU
2. Alabama
3. Arkansas
4. Oklahoma State
5. Stanford

If Arkansas beats LSU in a close game, Bama would move to 1, Arkansas to 2 and LSU could stay at 3, since it is their first loss.

Alabama goes to the SEC Championship Game. Georgia knocks them off. Let's assume that Oklahoma beats Oklahoma State

BCS looks like this:
1. Arkansas
2. LSU
3. Stanford
4. Alabama
5. Virginia Tech

#2 LSU gets left out because of the no more than two teams from the same conference can go to BCS games. Georgia would go to the Sugar Bowl as the SEC Champion.

 

[missouridawg]

From your scenario, LSU would play Arkansas for the national championship and BCS #4 Alabama would be left out to dry, with UGA playing in the Sugar Bowl.

 

[Dawgzilla]

Well, almost cannot. There is only one exception to the 3 teams rule:

<span style="font-style: italic;">No more than two teams from a conference may be selected, regardless of
whether they are automatic qualifiers or at-large selections,<span style="font-weight: bold;"> unless two
non-champions from the same conference are ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in
the final BCS Standings</span></span>.

This actually could come into play a couple of ways, but its unlikely:

A) LSU beats Arkansas, leaving LSU #1 and Bama #2. LSU then loses to UGA in the SECCG, but only falls to #2. Bama and LSU would be in the title game, and UGA, as the SEC champion, would go to the Sugar Bowl.

B). Arkansas beats LSU, but LSU doesn't fall very far in the polls. Arkansas loses to UGA (or for some reason, even though Arkansas beats UGA they are only ranked #3), and Bama and LSU are ranked #1 and #2.

Given everything that just happened this weekend, I'm not going to say either of these scenarios are impossible, but there is no reason to just assume the SEC will get 3 SEC bids.

 

[Topgundawg]

championship of two SEC teams is on its way. One will get screwed and this rule will have to be corrected in the future or SEC teams will always be on the short end of the stick.