By: Ryan Moreland (@ryanmoreland)
The SEC has two teams tied for first place and they are set to do battle this coming Monday. They also have a major battle that could decide the last playoff spot happening the following night. There is a lot to talk about in this powerful conference.
Before we jump into it, let’s take a quick refresher on the tiebreakers and how to get into the playoffs. Here are the tiebreakers in order:
| Order | Tiebreaker |
| 1 | Conference Record |
| 2 | Head-to-Head |
| 3 | Record vs common conference opponents |
| 4 | Point differential vs common conference opponents |
| 5 | Record vs common overall opponents |
| 6 | Point differential vs common overall opponents |
| 7 | Overall record |
| 8 | Overall point differential |
Since every conference team will eventually play each other, most ties will end at head-to-head. However, there can be scenarios that take us much deeper (just look at the ACC last season).
Now, for how the playoffs work. The top three teams in each conference will get an automatic bid into the playoffs. After that has been settled, then the last 4 teams will be voted in by a league-wide vote. After the field is set, seeding will begin. This season, the top 8 teams will be seeded and then they will get to draft their opening-round opponents (which I cannot wait to write content about).
I cannot predict which way the vote will go, so for these articles, I will be focusing on the automatic bids.
Current Standings
| Team | Overall Record | Conference Record |
| Kentucky | 5-1 | 3-0 |
| Auburn | 6-0 | 3-0 |
| Alabama | 4-2 | 2-1 |
| Florida | 3-3 | 1-2 |
| Georgia | 1-5 | 0-3 |
| Tennessee | 1-5 | 0-3 |
Right now, Kentucky holds the tiebreaker over Auburn because they beat Florida by more than Auburn did. That was the only common conference opponent they both have had so far. However, that won’t matter soon. These two teams will play to kick off Week 7.
Georgia and Tennessee are also tied, but Georgia has the better point differential against common conference opponents. This is another tiebreaker that will not matter soon, as they both play each other this week.
Conference Title Race
There are only three teams left in the conference with a shot at the SEC Crown. All Kentucky needs to do is to beat Auburn this week and they win the conference.
Auburn has a slightly more complicated route. The Tigers need to beat Kentucky, but they also need either 1) Alabama to lose in Week 7 to Florida OR 2) to beat Alabama in Week 8.
Lastly, Alabama still has a shot at the title, but they need some help. First off, they need Auburn to beat Kentucky. Then the Crimson Tide needs to beat Florida and Auburn to win out. Lastly, they also need Kentucky to lose their final game to Tennessee.
There is another possibility that would force a three-way tie. If Auburn beats Kentucky but loses to Alabama, Alabama wins both games, and Kentucky beats Tennessee in the final week, then all three teams would be 4-1 in conference play. This would create a grid-lock tie (meaning that head-to-head can’t be used). Therefore, the conference title would come down to point differential in conference play. As of right now, that would lean in Auburn’s favor. Of course, that could change a lot in two weeks.
Playoff Race
Both Auburn and Kentucky have already punched their tickets into the playoffs. The worst that both teams could finish is in third place, no matter what happens.
That only leaves one automatic bid up for grabs. All Alabama has to do is to beat Florida this coming week and that last playoff spot is theirs.
Florida needs to beat Alabama to have a chance. If they do, then they would be tied with Alabama at 2-2 in conference play and the Gators would hold the tiebreaker. That would mean a Florida win over Georgia OR an Alabama loss to Auburn would send the Gators to the postseason.
Both Georgia and Tennessee have been eliminated from automatic bid contention.
The SEC is by far the most decided conference at this point in the season and two games next week should decide who gets in and who is begging League Chat for a vote-in. Good luck to all six SEC schools.
