Will SEC get team to BCS title game? (answer below) (video added)
Nick Saban and/or Mark Richt need some help for BCS title berth. (Jason Getz/AJC)
(Video added below)
Is it time for a rare dirge at SEC headquarters?
Not quite.
Three non-SEC teams — Kansas State, Oregon, Notre Dame — top the BCS rankings. This is the equivalent of a Big Foot sighting – or maybe three of them. But there’s still a possibility that the winner of the SEC championship game in the Georgia Dome between Georgia and Alabama will wind up in the BCS championship game.
Loading ...SEC schools have won six straight BCS titles. In short, two of the three undefeated teams ahead of Georgia and Alabama have to lose for a chance to make it seven. And that could happen.
Here’s how I see it breaking down:
No. 1 Kansas State (10-0).
Schedule: at Baylor (4-5), vs. BCS No. 15 Texas (8-2)
Recap: The Wildcats will beat Baylor. The Bears can score a ton of points but their defense can’t hold up against a Sun Belt team. Texas has lost to its two strongest opponents this season, West Virginia (48-45) and Oklahoma (63-21), and both were home games. But the Longhorns are 4-0 on the road this season and they won at Texas Tech 31-22 a week ago. The biggest obstacle to a Texas upset: Its defense hasn’t been able to stop the run all season, allowing 200 yards per game. Rushing is the strength of the Kansas State offense (213.6). Kansas State also is helped by the fact that there is no Big 12 championship game this season because the defections of Nebraska and Colorado dropped the conference under the mandated minimum of 12 teams for a conference title game.
Bottom line: Barring an unexpected meltdown, Kansas State will be in the BCS title game.
Chip Kelly's "Quack Attack" will have a hard time staying unbeaten in the next three weeks. (AP photo)
No. 2 Oregon (10-0).
Schedule: vs. BCS No. 13 Stanford, at BCS No. 16 Oregon State, Pacific 12 Conference title (if necessary).
Recap: The Ducks are averaging nearly 55 points a game. That can cover up a lot of deficiencies. But USC is the highest ranked team Oregon has played this season, and the Ducks barely escaped 62-51. Stanford took Notre Dame to overtime earlier this season in South Bend before losing. Last week the Cardinal upset Oregon State. Stanford can run the ball and, therefore, control the clock and keep Oregon’s offense off the field. So this game has upset potential. Similarly, the Ducks’ game against rival Oregon State in Corvallis won’t be easy. The Beavers have the second-lowest scoring defense in the conference (19.1) and are accustomed to seeing Oregon’s offense. The Ducks have won the last two meetings in Corvallis but prior to that Oregon State had won five straight. Even if Oregon gets through both of those games, the team still has to win the conference championship game (against USC or UCLA).
Bottom line: With potentially three difficult games, it says here Oregon will lose one of them.
Brian Kelly's team has won 10 straight but still must find a way to win at USC. (AP photo)
No. 3 Notre Dame (10-0)
Schedule: vs. Wake Forest, at BCS No. 18 USC.
Recap: This is the wild card. The Irish will walk all over Wake Forest, which has lost five of its last eight and just got drilled by North Carolina State 37-6. The question is what happens in the USC game in two weeks, and Georgia or Alabama fans could be in the uncomfortable position of rooting for Lane Kiffin in that game. The Trojans’ defense has slipped significantly but Notre Dame is not an overpowering offensive team. Also, while the Irish won in Los Angeles two years ago, this series has been dominated by the Trojans since 2002, with nine wins in the last 10 meetings. Expect this game to tip on a turnover.
Bottom line: Maybe this is just the part of me that has a difficult time visualizing no SEC team in the BCS title game. But USC will upset Notre Dame.
Agree or disagree? The digital venting lines are open and we’ve put up a poll.
Hey, moving pictures! (And why Georgia can beat Alabama)
By Jeff Schultz
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387 comments Add your comment
kingdaddy
November 12th, 2012
2:01 pm
Patch
I believe we “could” beat them, i believe, i believe, but history is a class some idiots like to skip…we’ll see if our coaches have been paying attention in class, or just wasting our time. I’m all Dawg, with a Degree in Reality…
Haters hate, Kool-aide drinkers dream, and some of us agree to meet in the middle…
After further review
November 12th, 2012
2:01 pm
Thomas, if you sincerely belive that the SEC champion plays in the nationla title game no matter what you are seriously mistaken. There are three unbeaten teams ahead the SEC chamionship winner, who will have at least one loss. Since none of those teams is from a non-qualifying converence, the SEC champion will not jump past them, period. As things now stand the SEC Championship matchup is 4 vs. 5. How do you imagine that gets a bump past 1, 2, or 3, all of whom are unbeaten at this point?
By the way, your comments to Nikki show a complete lack of class on our part, not to mention the ignorance of your statement that Virginia is in the North. Virginia fought on the side of the Confederacy, you can look it up.
ugadawg01
November 12th, 2012
2:02 pm
sorry typo….2 and 5 teams
blue
November 12th, 2012
2:03 pm
Can’t wait for the four team structure to kick in. I HATE the SEC, but also recognize that someone should have to beat their best in a “tournament”. However, this year, some teams did NOT take care of their own business…period. UGA’s strength of schedule is weak…
Tucker
November 12th, 2012
2:03 pm
Somehow I don’t see any of these teams going undefeated in the SEC!!!
Beast from the East
November 12th, 2012
2:04 pm
Lots of anger on the blog today. Just keep winning and let the chips fall where they may. That’s about all any team can do.
kingdaddy
November 12th, 2012
2:05 pm
Patch
I didn’t say that you were bloviating, lol. I just said that I don’t. I try to keep things short and sweet…plus, I like the word…
kingdaddy
November 12th, 2012
2:06 pm
Beast…
Doug K
November 12th, 2012
2:09 pm
I wouldn’t brag about beating florida. Seems anyone can these days. Fsu is going to destroy them.
Patched Tire On I-95 in Jacksonville
November 12th, 2012
2:11 pm
kingdaddy
I was very good in history and history tells us Richt and Bobo must have a 2 or more loss season
With Bama and probably a decent bowl team to go up against I still see it happening
Bama is much more beatable if 2 of the 3 unbeatens remain unbeaten
all due to AL realizing their National Championship hopes being shattered and them being undermotivated
I will take it just to win another SEC championship
that leaves the bowl game against another decent team
I just dont see us winning out especially if we play a tough bowl opponent but if its a Louisville etc then Richt wins out, with him really only beating 2 good teams all year
joe joe
November 12th, 2012
2:11 pm
kansas does not deserve to be in bcs #1 look at there schedule.. They have potential so does every other team in bcs… Oregeon will lose to stanford or oregeon st and or usc ,ucla game. Notre Dame is #1 in my book they beaten more ranked tems than another team and look at there schedule. There defense has gave up fewer points in any other team in college football and defense wins games.
War nole
November 12th, 2012
2:12 pm
Tucker
Seeing how AM is not even one year removed from the big 12, I wouldn’t talk about going undefeated in the sec this year. The sec is down big from it’s past. I think oregon would destroy all of the sec.
Wet Willie...keep on smiling
November 12th, 2012
2:12 pm
Nobody will be Oregon and KSU will kill Texas. I think UGA has a real shot to beat Alabama depending on how Bama handles the loss. It’s very possible Bama could go South since they will have missed on their main goal of a repeat and there has been a huge effort placed on just that by the team. Lots of work done by this team to reach that goal. This could be a problem. I am glad we’re playing the little sisters of the poor this week and I hope Mal can do something about getting A&M moved away from the game after LSU. Bama played Mizzou,UT,Miss State,LSU, and A&M in a row and that is a tuff row but the game following LSU for Bama needs to be a little girls team or maybe a little better but not a good football team. You people that want 9 conference games are just crazy! We will kill any chances of gettting teams into the 4 deal. The northern bias is about to get started with Notre Dame and Urban cranking up OSU every year so that takes two spots and we’re back to the rest of us fighting for the other 2. The best thing for the SEC is to go to 8. UGA is in a good spot for a big year both on the field and recruiting if things fall their way. Just saying. The process will continue at Bama regardless……but the only folks going Nick’s way are those kids that are dead serious about football and not so much into the fun and rah rah stuff. Just like this country Nick’s selection pool will get less and less each year if you get my drift.
Jeff Schultz
November 12th, 2012
2:14 pm
Joey — You can sign up for a word-of-the-day email from dictionary.com. Great way to build your vocabulary. Me, I’m just trying to make the world a better place, one $2 word at a time.
kingdaddy
November 12th, 2012
2:15 pm
Nikki was begging for it. She had nothing to offer that struck me as positive. Probably just got out from under a Nerd tickle-pile. I don’t think she knew much about VT and she was awfully worried about how the Dawgs blog-flog. Sounds like a undercover bug-lover to me. May not even be female…hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm…
Jeff Schultz
November 12th, 2012
2:17 pm
“Dawglasvile — Where does Petrino land? I say Auburn.”
<<< My money is on Presbyterian.
Jeff Schultz
November 12th, 2012
2:23 pm
Since some folks are trying to figure out strength of schedule, which always is tricky, figured I would post the top 10 teams according to the average of the 6 computer rankings used by BCS.
1. Notre Dame
2. Kansas State
3. Florida
4. Oregon
5. Alabama
6. Georgia
7. LSU
8t. Texas A&M
8t. South Carolina
10. Oklahoma
I’d think Oregon would shoot up if it wins its next two (vs. ranked teams)
7576DAWG
November 12th, 2012
2:25 pm
Same crap that happened in 2004 may end up happening this year. Oklahama get blown out in the Championship game and the media( ESPN ) wanted the number 1 and number 2 rated Quarterbacks to plan in the Championship game so an undefeated Auburn team was skipped and Southern Cal beat the Hell out of Oklahoma, just like everyone thought would happen. I still think Auburn would have beaten Southern Cal .
Same crap this year with Notre Dame. If they go undefeated and either Oregon or Kansas State loses I think the delusional media ( ESPN ) will again make sure that Notre Dame gets into the Championship game only because they are undefeated even though they didn’t really play anybody that finished in the top 10 and if that happen Oregon will beat them by 4 touchdowns and Kansas State will win by at least 2 touchdown but the beat team in the nation wouldn’t have even played.
Can’t wait for the playoff, it will be very hard for at least one SEC not to be given the opportunity which is all I ask. Then the media can go to, HELLO, because they can’t control things any longer, it will be settled on the field where everyone should want to see it settled.
Put in Timeout by Ken Suguira,Filtered by Mark Bradley, Banned by Bill King, Chip Towers & only slightly loved by Jeff Schultz.
November 12th, 2012
2:28 pm
TV still hoping for a NOTRE DAME vs BAMA.
I say 50 /50 chance
November 12th, 2012
2:28 pm
that 2 of the 3 lose. Oregon has no “D” and 3 tough opponents. Kansas St has an improving Texas team to deal with. And ND will get phantom interference calls after they failed on 4th down again.
Everyone complains about the UGA schedule, but no one mentions that Bama did not have to play the East’s best. No UGA, Florida or SC on their slate. Ironically these two teams made it through the SEC.
Patched Tire On I-95 in Jacksonville
November 12th, 2012
2:29 pm
7576DAWG
If ND remains undefeated and either Oregon loses or Kst loses ND is going to play in the National Title period
kingdaddy
November 12th, 2012
2:29 pm
Joey
quit antagonizing Jeff. You’re non compos mentis…
Put in Timeout by Ken Suguira,Filtered by Mark Bradley, Banned by Bill King, Chip Towers & only slightly loved by Jeff Schultz.
November 12th, 2012
2:31 pm
UGA, Florida & USCe???………….LSU, Texas A&M, Miss St & Michigan are harder teams.
kingdaddy
November 12th, 2012
2:34 pm
Smart
you are demented…
Put in Timeout by Ken Suguira,Filtered by Mark Bradley, Banned by Bill King, Chip Towers & only slightly loved by Jeff Schultz.
November 12th, 2012
2:37 pm
UGa played 2 ranked teams and went 1-1
USC played 2 ranked and went 0-2
Gators Played 4 ranked teams and went 3-1
Put in Timeout by Ken Suguira,Filtered by Mark Bradley, Banned by Bill King, Chip Towers & only slightly loved by Jeff Schultz.
November 12th, 2012
2:42 pm
LSU played 5(in a row)ranked teams and went 3-2
Texas A&M played 5 ranked teams and went 3-2
Miss St played 3 ranked teams and went 0-3
Michigan played 3 ranked teams and went 1-2
maddog
November 12th, 2012
2:44 pm
7576 – I am looking forward to the playoff as well but it is going to come with its controversy as well….
The idea of a playoff sounds great given where we have been over the past BCS era… there is always question among the top 4-6 teams and who really are the top 2 that deserve to play in the championship game?
Well I am for the playoff, if you are making an effort to get the top 4 teams (preferably
in that playoff field. Well this evolving committee, i asssure you is not going to get the top 4 in the field. It might get the top 1… and give them three other teams to play it out against…. BUT ….. the stipulations/guidlines that aare TBD, I assure you are going to limit the ability to put the best four teams in the playoff; rather they will be designed to be FAIR and give all confrence winners a chance, regardless of whether the best 4 teams are in or not.
NOW… I agree that a 32 or 64 or 16 team playoff is too much… The more teams you put in the playoff the better the chance of getting it right and having the best teams in the field.
But be it 4 teams or 8 teams, you want them to be the best 4-8 teams in the nation competing, regardless of confrence. I really think the BCS system does a good job of ranking them. Look at past years bowl games as an indicator.. 78% of the time the highest ranked BCS team wins the bowl.
Leave the ranking system as is and put the top 4 or 8 in the playoff
maddog
November 12th, 2012
2:53 pm
Who would get in in 2012 if we had the 4 team layoff??
If O,K, ND, BAMA as of today……
If any of these top 4 has a loss, you have G,F, LSU, A&M, SC waiting on the outside at 5 thru 9…
Bama and UGA at 4/5 would be in a play in game in Atlanta for that 4th spot….
If O,K, ND had a loss the next highest ranked team get in the playoff???? AS another SEC team who didnt win their confrence or maybe division?
Or would you skip down to a 10 or 11th ranked ACC champ?
maddog
November 12th, 2012
2:56 pm
I hope the highest ranked, but my $$$ would bet against it which in my opinion is not an improvement in the system.
Dum-Bass
November 12th, 2012
3:02 pm
I found it interesting just now reading about Dooley’s dismissal at TN in the Nashville Tennessean. There’s a poll asking if he should be shown the door after the last game. The poll of course say YES.
What I found interesting was that on the list of replacements in the poll, Jon Gruden got the most votes. WHAT? NO Chizik or Petrino even listed in that poll? Either one would be perfect at TN! After all, they had Lane Kiffin for awhile didn’t they? BTW, don’t be surprised if GSU(the REAL GSU) upsets the DAWGS. Wonder how the AJC will handle that one. They only know one GSU.
Seriously
November 12th, 2012
3:04 pm
Listen it is totaly a moot point that Bama is 4 and UGA 5. You can argue and throw stupid comments all you want but it really doesn’t matter until the SECC. I think the odds are slim that 2 of top 3 will lose but you never know.
Roll Tide and see you in the big game. I hppe it does mean a trip to Miami.
maddog
November 12th, 2012
3:06 pm
Drop the B above… GSU aint upsetting the dawgs
UA Grad
November 12th, 2012
3:09 pm
Buckeye,
Georgia Southern, Indiana, Western Carolina, Illinois, Minnesota………what’s the difference?
AllDog
November 12th, 2012
3:09 pm
USC beats Notre Dame, UCLA beats oregon
Ga beats alabama by 13 and wins the SEC. GA v. KState for the BCS title
Dogs win by 6—bet the house!
gbal
November 12th, 2012
3:14 pm
The SEC game is playing out to be hudge….. Think if two of the top 3 do take a loss what a hyped game that will be as a play in game to the NC game.
UGA, get all the style points you can the next two weeks.
ARdawg
November 12th, 2012
3:15 pm
Georgia Bulldogs win the SEC, all else be dammed
gbal
November 12th, 2012
3:17 pm
Leave nothing on the table or for chance (ESPN).
kingdaddy
November 12th, 2012
3:23 pm
Work on the things you can effect, the rest will take care of themselves. We have no control over three of the teams ahead of us, but we do over Bama. Just win one game at a time, starting withGa. Southern…
Put in Timeout by Ken Suguira,Filtered by Mark Bradley, Banned by Bill King, Chip Towers & only slightly loved by Jeff Schultz.
November 12th, 2012
3:27 pm
AllDog what are you drinking?
Put in Timeout by Ken Suguira,Filtered by Mark Bradley, Banned by Bill King, Chip Towers & only slightly loved by Jeff Schultz.
November 12th, 2012
3:28 pm
How many Dawg players are out for fail drug tests in the GSU game? LOL you know just before the Auburn game was the only game UGa would give the test this year.
Put in Timeout by Ken Suguira,Filtered by Mark Bradley, Banned by Bill King, Chip Towers & only slightly loved by Jeff Schultz.
November 12th, 2012
3:33 pm
Richt looks like he has a Mohawk in the photo.
kingdaddy
November 12th, 2012
3:35 pm
Smart
You texting from Disney World again??? You should be worrying about those Dukies keeping tech out of another bowl, lol…
bill arp
November 12th, 2012
3:42 pm
Petrino ends up at Auburn. Knowing them, the deal is already done.
Sonny Dykes or Willie Taggart goes to UK.(La Tech and W Kentucky coaches)
Gus Malzahn to Ar-kansas.
Jon Gruden to UT, but maybe Charlie Strong(although he’s waiting for Spurrier to call it quits to take over there-which will happen soon).
Here we go
November 12th, 2012
3:42 pm
If UGA beats Bama,say hello to the Sugar vs. Notre Dame.If we lose the SECC,we are Capital One bound vs a Big 10 team.If Gators beat Fla.State they will say hello to the Fiesta Bowl.If Bama beats us they will play in the Sugar.The BCS championship will be Oregan vs Kansas State.USCe is Outback bound.But you never know what will happen since they all have to play and one will win and one will lose.Go DAWGS!!
coltman/go BUCKS
November 12th, 2012
3:50 pm
I love these Buckeye bashing comments…………Just proves that EVERYONE hates a winner, look at the record, jealousy abounds on this forum!!!!! Thank your lucky stars that we can’t go to a bowl game because our boys sold their personal belongings……..Hmmmmmmmm look at Florida and others, got completely by with MAJOR infractions while our boys get extreme punishment for something that affected no one or helped their play in any way.
Bamagirl2012
November 12th, 2012
3:52 pm
Really, THE TRUTH IS; Texas A&M got lucky, caught Bama tired and emotionally drained. Even with Mousy Football running around like Michael Vick, (ooops he’s sidelined with an injury from uuh, running around like a crazy person), BAMA lost the game ONLY because of themselves. A fumble in the red zone, and 2 picks by McCarron, caused the lost, not Mousy football. People simply hate BAMA, so did I before my son some how decided to attend school there. I hated them simply because it’s instinctive to hate a winner, a dynasty, and seeing the same old team over and over (just admit it, I had to). America celebrated because BAMA lost. Why because of haterade. People are simply over the SEC GIANTS, and BAMA being a household name. PROOF – Who celebrated the 2 losses that Texas A&M got??? Nobody, wasn’t out of the ordinary right? GET IT? Now shut the HELL UP! BAMA SEC Champions, and BCS Champions Again.
LKB
November 12th, 2012
3:53 pm
Texas will take down KSU and USCw will steam-roll Over-rated ND. SEC winner will be in the picture no matter if it is UGA or Bama.
JoeP
November 12th, 2012
3:56 pm
Gotta loved the SEC “too strong” “we beat ourselves up” lame excuses. Every conference beats each other up. That’s what conferences are for. If we had a legit earned path, there is no way the SEC would have had the run the last few years.
kingdaddy
November 12th, 2012
3:57 pm
Coltman
want some cheese to go with that “whine”. A.J. got 4 game suspension for a jersey. We didn’t think that was fair either, but then, we weren’t in your Ohio St. Blog bashing the Buckeyes either. Buckeye is an idiot that only drops by to sling some poo. If you defend that, then you are a tool too…
JoeP
November 12th, 2012
3:59 pm
Bamagirl. The truth is that Alabama lost, period. Period. That’s it. Don’t makes excuses. It’s not about hate at all.