SEC
Southeastern ConferenceWant to know the Southeastern Conference's worst football nightmare this morning?
How about Georgia beating Alabama in next month's SEC Championship Game?
Yes, I know that Missouri currently holds a one-game lead on the Bulldogs in the SEC East standings. I also know that Bama could still finish second in the West.
And on a slightly different note, it's also been rumored of late that if any Florida State players were caught in their game uniforms attempting to blow up the Florida governor's mansion, the Tallahassee Police Department has at least tentatively agreed to take a vote on whether or not to issue them a warning not to try something like that again.
But perhaps we digress.
The real issue here is whether or not the SEC should be concerned that the first College Football Playoff might actually be staged without any league schools.
Think about it. What if Missouri loses one of its remaining league games at Tennessee this Saturday night or in its regular-season finale against visiting Arkansas? Moreover, let's say Alabama doesn't even get to the title game because it loses to Auburn, Ole Miss knocks off Mississippi State and the Rebs reach Atlanta.
Any reasonable football person could argue that a two-loss SEC team is still among the best four in the country, and they would probably be right. There's a reason or 19 why the conference won seven straight BCS national titles before last season, when it came within 90 seconds of an eighth straight.
Quite simply, it's the best league in the country. But those 12 College Football Playoff Committee members may see it differently. They may eyeball four or more Power Five conference teams with one loss or less (Florida State) and tell the SEC, "Better luck next year."
Would they be right? That's a tougher call. Let's say FSU, Ohio State, Oregon and Baylor/TCU all finish with one or fewer losses. Your gut might tell you Alabama or Georgia or Ole Miss might be better. But how do you sell that? Should you even try? Shouldn't the merit of a one-loss (or undefeated season) count for something? And who's to say the SEC is really all that good this year. After all, Indiana, which is but 3-7 overall in the supposedly inferior Big Ten, defeated Missouri, which could still win the conference.
Both Auburn (Kansas State) and Bama (West Virginia) own victories over the Big 12, but neither win was terribly impressive at the time. In some ways, Alabama has actually looked less dominant at times than any school in the top five this week -- FSU, Bama, Oregon, Mississippi State and TCU.
But Bama also knocked off previously perfect Miss. State this past weekend, won in overtime at LSU and by a point at Arkansas, its lone loss coming at Ole Miss. With Auburn seemingly out of gas, the Tide appears about as close to a lock to at least reach the SEC title game as any team could with a still-ranked Auburn in its path.
Nor will Georgia -- assuming Mizzou drops one of its final two -- probably have the weapons needed to take down Bama now that running back Todd Gurley's lost for the season with a knee injury.
What if Georgia did beat Bama or State or Ole Miss in the SEC title game? What then? It's crazy, should Georgia reach the Georgia Dome and win, its 11-2 mark at that point just might impress the committee enough for a bid. And once in, what if the Dawgs were to face the 'Noles, especially since UGA defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt was directing FSU's defense this time last year? Think TV wouldn't love that storyline?
Bama should win out, of course, completing a 12-1 run that would seemingly guarantee it one of those four coveted playoff spots.
That doesn't mean the league shouldn't worry, though. If either the Crimson Tide or Mississippi State -- currently the only league schools with less than two losses -- stumble one more time, the SEC could suddenly be SECond to everyone come football's first final four.
Not that the league would appear likely to win another national championship if it got in. Until or unless the Tallahassee Police Department starts to treat the Seminoles more like sinners than saints, FSU is looking more and more like a repeat national champion. No matter how good, bad or mediocre your league, for the 'Noles to rally from deficits of 15 points or more on three separate occasions this year is championship stuff. And whatever else you think of defending Heisman Trophy winner Jameis "Shame Us" Winston, the QB is at his best when it matters most, which would seem to make the 'Noles all but unbeatable in the posteason.
Especially if the football gods decide not to invite an SEC team possibly capable of stopping them.
Contact Mark Wiedmer at mwiedmer@timesfreepress.com