Like it or not, the SEC is still the big boy in the room when it comes to college football. All eyes will be focused on Atlanta and the SEC Championship Game on Saturday afternoon as No. 1 ranked Georgia and No. 3 Alabama tangle for what is essentially an automatic bid into the College Football Playoffs. Many believe that should Alabama beat Georgia then both will be among the four teams to qualify for a shot at the National Championship.
And, truth is, the SEC is just going to get stronger in a couple years when Oklahoma and Texas join the fold. The impact the SEC has on the college football world is so strong and the competition so fierce that some would say it was a big part of Lincoln Riley’s decision to leave as head coach of Oklahoma and take his 55-10 record with the Sooners far, far away to the West Coast and USC to get away from the footprint of the SEC.
While that may be true, there is one conference that has two games on tap this Saturday that could impact the playoffs. Nope, it’s not the Big 10. While Michigan needs to beat Iowa to qualify, a loss leaves the Big 10 totally out of the picture. The ACC? Not a chance. The match-up between Wake Forest and Pitt has very few folks concerned in the least. The Pac-12? No, again. While it will be interesting to see if Oregon can bounce back from their loss to Utah to gain revenge against the Utes in the conference game, the winner will not be in the playoff picture.
So that leaves the Big XII.
If Oklahoma State (11-1) manages to beat Baylor (10-2) in the Big XII title game on Saturday morning at 11, the Cowboys will be in a dogfight with Notre Dame for a spot in the playoffs.
But there is also a future Big 12 team in the hunt. The American Athletic Conference Championship game, which could be the “Other” Big XII title, is set for 3 p.m. on Saturday and features 12-0 Cincinnati hosting 11-1 Houston. When Oklahoma and Texas officially enter the SEC, the Bearcats and Cougars will become the newest members of the Big XII.
So there is a possibility that the SEC, with Georgia and Alabama, and the future Big XII with Oklahoma State and Cincinnati, could have two teams each in the Final Four. Not likely, but possible.
Saturday’s results could put the Big XII powers that be in a difficult spot. If it comes down to Cincinnati and Oklahoma State battling for a spot in the playoffs, do they come out and say OSU absolutely deserves it over the Bearcats, thus trying to shoot down the hopes of a future member?
It could be interesting for sure.
A look at what teams make up this week’s Associated Press Top 25 points first to the SEC, with has six teams in the rankings and one (Oklahoma) that will soon be a part of the league.
The ACC has five teams in the Top 25, followed by the Big 10 with 4, and the American Athletic Conference and PAC 12 with two each. Louisiana, San Diego State, and BYU round out the rankings.
But here is what is interesting: Not only does the Big XII have three current teams — Oklahoma State, Baylor, and Oklahoma — in the Top 25, but they have three soon to be members — BYU, Houston, and Cincinnati — in the mix as well. That brings the total to six.
No reasonable person could say that the Big XII got stronger by replacing Oklahoma and Texas with BYU, Houston, Central Florida and Cincinnati, but most would also have to admit the addition of those four did strengthen the conference once it was crippled by the departure of the Longhorns and Sooners.
Saturday should be fun, at least for four teams.
Austin Bishop, AKA The Old Sports Dude, has been covering high school, college, amateur and professional sports since 1975. He is currently pastor of Great Commission Assembly of God in Philadelphia, Miss. He may be contacted by email at starsportsboss@yahoo.com.
