The SEC has as many as 10 teams in contention for the 12-team College Football Playoff.
Key games include No. 10 LSU at No. 18 Vanderbilt and No. 5 Mississippi at No. 7 Georgia.
Rivalry games like Texas A&M at Texas and the Iron Bowl could have major playoff implications.
There is no shortage of high-impact SEC games involving every College Football Playoff contender occurring every weekend from now through the end of the regular season.
But that’s life in college football’s meatgrinder.
While the Big Ten might have five or six teams in the playoff mix, the list of candidates in the SEC goes as many as 10 deep, matching the number of teams the league has in this week’s US LBM Coaches Poll.
It’s easy to identify which teams are contending for the 12-team bracket. What’s not so easy is predicting which three or four teams rise to the top of the standings and earn automatic and at-large playoff bids.
The second half of the year will help bring this into focus. From this weekend through the final Saturday of November, these games will determine where the SEC lands:
No. 10 LSU at No. 18 Vanderbilt, Oct. 18
It’s a huge test and a potential breaking point for Vanderbilt, which looked a clear step behind the best teams in the SEC in this month’s loss to No. 6 Alabama. A win establishes the Commodores as a legitimate playoff hopeful and essentially bounces LSU from contention. This is an opportunity for the Tigers offense to finally get on track.
No. 5 Mississippi at No. 7 Georgia, Oct. 18
There are still some unknowns about the Rebels, especially after a too-close-for-comfort win against Washington State. There are questions about the Bulldogs, too, given their uneven play through the first half of games. This is a tone-setting game for both teams that will provide some separation near the top of the conference.
No. 11 Tennessee at No. 6 Alabama, Oct. 18
The third marquee game this Saturday alone rekindles a rivalry that has shifted back to the Volunteers, winners of two of the last three meetings. Both teams have some playoff wiggle room, but the winner could head out of the weekend as the favorite in the SEC. It’s another test for Tennessee quarterback Joey Aguilar, who hasn’t faced a ranked opponent on the road.
No. 4 Texas A&M at LSU, Oct. 25
Saturday’s trip to Arkansas won’t help decide whether A&M is truly one of the top five teams in the Bowl Subdivision or just a very good team taking advantage of an easier schedule. That answer could come a week later in Death Valley. LSU has the talent to flip a switch and run the table in the second half.
Georgia vs. Florida, Nov. 1
The annual meeting between the schools in Jacksonville, Florida, is notable for potentially being the final game for Florida coach Billy Napier, who has been able to dodge a pink slip but finds his job security more tenuous than ever. Look for the school to make a coaching change should the Gators lose.
Texas A&M at No. 16 Missouri, Nov. 8
This one of three games remaining against ranked teams for Missouri, sandwiched between matchups against Vanderbilt and No. 13 Oklahoma. Should they get past the Commodores, a win against the Aggies could put the Tigers on track to land an at-large bid.
LSU at Alabama, Nov. 8
One potential backdrop to this game is Brian Kelly’s future at LSU should the Tigers lose once before heading to Tuscaloosa. The same might be said of Alabama’s Kalen DeBoer, though he’s solidified his status during an active five-game winning streak. This could determine half of the makeup of the SEC championship game if both teams have just one loss.
Oklahoma at Alabama, Nov. 15
By this point, the hope for Oklahoma is that quarterback John Mateer has fully recovered from his hand injury and is playing at the level that made him a Heisman Trophy front-runner. The Sooners’ defense is one of the best nationally, so a playoff bid comes down to whether the offense gets back in gear.
No. 17 Texas at Georgia, Nov. 15
This game would take on much less meaning if Texas slips up and takes a third loss against Vanderbilt. If the Longhorns have just two losses, the trip to Athens would be one of the biggest regular-season games of the Steve Sarkisian era. A loss might end their postseason hopes. A win could vault them into the SEC title game.
Georgia at No. 13 Georgia Tech, Nov. 28
This could be a playoff eliminator for the loser should unbeaten Geogia Tech lose once or twice in ACC play and fall short of the conference title game. While who the loss or losses come against matters, the Yellow Jackets could still meet the Bulldogs with an at-large playoff bid at risk. Last year’s rivalry was an epic, eight-overtime win by Georgia.
Texas A&M at Texas, Nov. 28
This rekindled rivalry would be must-see TV even if both teams were hovering around five or six wins. There’s a chance that this game carries the same weight as last year’s meeting, which had profound consequences for the SEC and the playoff. If Sarkisian is under fire after the Georgia game, a loss to Mike Elko and the Aggies would make his job security one of the main talking points of the offseason.
Alabama at Auburn, Nov. 29
The Iron Bowl will also draw national eyeballs regardless of the records involved. In this year’s case, don’t look for Auburn to have much more on the line than getting to six wins, which even then might not be enough to salvage Hugh Freeze’s job. There will be plenty of pressure on DeBoer, though, because of the chance the Tigers play spoilers and knock the Crimson Tide out of the title conversation.