This "playoff" format isn't a win for the SEC in its current format. The highest rated SEC teams in these final regular season BCS standings were:
- '05 UGA at #7
- '01 UF at #5 (w/o winning the SEC East)
- '00 UF at #7
That's three out of 14 seasons in which the SEC would not have placed a team in the playoff under its current format. Wait...surely that will be offset by the years in which the SEC would place a second team in the playoffs.
No.
Years the SEC's second team was in consideration:
- '11 Obviously we would've still gotten two teams
- '09 UF at #5 behind undefeated TCU.
- '08 UA at #4 in front of #5 P10 Champ USC.
- '07 UGA at #5 in BCS and #4 in Human Polls. VT as ACC Champ probably goes over us.
- '06 LSU at #4 in front of P10 Champ USC at #5
Either '09 or '08, the SEC might have gotten a second team. Especially with Tebow hype in '09. However, the committee has a stated unofficial goal of
recognizing league champions and strength of schedule when the voting is close.
Every member of the committee outside of the Southeast is in that room pushing a team other than the SEC school for the final slot. That's why I don't see this as a win for us.
Predictions:
- This structure will never see the end of its 12 year contract before going to 8 teams
- The SEC will reactively go to 9 league games to shut up the critics in the selection room after they use the 8 game schedule as an excuse to keep an SEC team out.
Thoughts?
PWD
