Is the SEC Championship in a 12 team playoff relevant anymore?

#1
D

Doctrippin

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#1
We can assume the top 2 SEC teams are going to be top 10 nationally and will both most definitely be getting playoff berths. However, we are now expanding to 12 teams, which means that a 3rd or even 4th SEC team would be likely to also get in. GA would be in for sure even after losing in Atlanta, so a 12 team playoff sets up the possibility of yet another rematch. As a coach, it's certainly nice to get an SEC trophy, but you are also risking your guys in a game against a team you could likely have to play again anyway. Attrition is a huge part of the game at that point in the season. You can even see a scenario where it's better to be SEC #3, skip Atlanta and focus on the playoffs without having to play an extra game. Thoughts?
 
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#5
#5
Doctrippin said:
We can assume the top 2 SEC teams are going to be top 10 nationally and will both most definitely be getting playoff berths. However, we are now expanding to 12 teams, which means that a 3rd or even 4th SEC team would be likely to also get in. GA would be in for sure even after losing in Atlanta, so a 12 team playoff sets up the possibility of yet another rematch. As a coach, it's certainly nice to get an SEC trophy, but you are also risking your guys in a game against a team you could likely have to play again anyway. Attrition is a huge part of the game at that point in the season. You can even see a scenario where it's better to be SEC #3, skip Atlanta and focus on the playoffs without having to play an extra game. Thoughts?
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Good observations. Makes me think of hoops and the relevancy of the SEC tournament.
 
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#6
#6
I may be in the minority, but I still value an SEC championship immensely and view it as special. In fact, Tennessee could win an SECC without making the expanded playoffs (I know that would be impossible) and I’d still feel the season was a massive success. I look at basketball the same way. If Tennessee can win the regular season or SECT, the season is a success to me, even with a poor NCAAT showing.
 
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#7
#7
An upset in the SECCG might be a way of preventing #2 ACC team or #1 Mountain West team from making the 12-team field!
 
#10
#10
I think it is a disadvantage due to the fact it is yet another game in what will be a meat grinder for the playoff winners.
It will make a 5th postseason game for the National Champion.
 
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#11
#11
Things exist in their own right.

Set aside how they affect other things, and consider them on their own merit.

Winning the SEC Championship is a big deal. This is the best conference in all of college football. Coming out top dog in it is absolutely worth effort. Even getting to the competition, getting to Atlanta, is worth the effort. It means something pretty great.

If competing for and winning this crown doesn't stir you, I'm not sure what you're in the sport for.

You don't have to boil your world down to Just One Thing. Nested championships can each be valuable, and valued. I know they are by me and my extended family.

Go Vols!
 
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#13
#13
The College Football Playoff has made conference championships mostly irrelevant. Folks can say how much they care about it, sure, but outside of internal pride, no one in a wider sense cares about who wins what conference anymore. Clemson won the ACC championship last year, for example, and I haven't heard that come up often this season (as opposed to all the conversation about how much Clemson sucked).

Part of that is from the dilution of the conferences themselves I think. With all the geographically nonsensical changes, I think there's a lot of "what even is this conference" energy running around now.
 
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#14
#14
McDad said:
Might be necessary to award the SEC championship to the team with the best record (with tie breakers and such preset) rather than play another game.
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I'm in favor of this idea. I feel like (especially in the SEC) the conference championship game could end up hurting a team under the 12 team playoff format. If your team is a fringe playoff team but then has to play an extra conference championship game it could knock them out should they lose.
 
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#15
#15
rocketskates said:
I'm in favor of this idea. I feel like (especially in the SEC) the conference championship game could end up hurting a team under the 12 team playoff format. If your team is a fringe playoff team but then has to play an extra conference championship game it could knock them out should they lose.
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I am not really for the championship game either, but how many times has the #2 team in the SEC been on the fringe of being in the top 12? LSU last year, but they would not have been in the game if the format was like it will be next year, Tennessee would have been in the game at #6 in the country.
 
#17
#17
cbrown said:
I may be in the minority, but I still value an SEC championship immensely and view it as special. In fact, Tennessee could win an SECC without making the expanded playoffs (I know that would be impossible) and I’d still feel the season was a massive success. I look at basketball the same way. If Tennessee can win the regular season or SECT, the season is a success to me, even with a poor NCAAT showing.
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Wow, I assume you haven't been in the Basketball forum the year we won the SECT there was a contingent that wanted Barnes Fired because we didn't go deeper in the NCAA, and they all said the SECT was useless and most teams just rollover in just a money maker event.
 
#18
#18
KTrain said:
Wow, I assume you haven't been in the Basketball forum the year we won the SECT there was a contingent that wanted Barnes Fired because we didn't go deeper in the NCAA, and they all said the SECT was useless and most teams just rollover in just a money maker event.
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I was not part of that contingent. 😂
 
#19
#19
SpookyAction said:
I think it is a disadvantage due to the fact it is yet another game in what will be a meat grinder for the playoff winners.
It will make a 5th postseason game for the National Champion.
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How’s that? If the SEC Champ gets a bye (very likely) that means 2 playoff games plus the SEC Champ game. If the winner doesn’t get a bye then it’s 3 playoff games plus 1. Where’s the 5th game?

Edit: NM…I was off a round on the games. It would be 5 without a bye. 4 with.
 
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#20
#20
www.ncaa.com

How the 12-team College Football Playoff will work: Teams, schedule, bids

Here's a breakdown of how the new 12-team College Football Playoff will work — starting in 2024-25 — according to CFP officials.
www.ncaa.com www.ncaa.com

"The new 12-team College Football Playoff field will include the six highest-ranked conference champions, which will receive automatic bids. The top four teams will receive a first-round bye to the quarterfinals.

The six highest-ranked teams remaining will round out the 12-team format."

So, YES, the SECCG will still matter. It gives the opportunity to earn an important bye into the 2nd round.
BTW - if you applied the '24 rules to this year there would be 4 teams from the SEC...Bama, Ole Miss, UGA, and Mizzou.

In other words, if we would have handled our stuff against Mizzou then UT would have likely been in the bracket - beat both Mizzou and FLA and definitely would have been in the bracket.
 
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#21
#21
KTrain said:
Wow, I assume you haven't been in the Basketball forum the year we won the SECT there was a contingent that wanted Barnes Fired because we didn't go deeper in the NCAA, and they all said the SECT was useless and most teams just rollover in just a money maker event.
Click to expand...
Of course those same folks were probably whining about not winning it for 40 years too.
 
#22
#22
IndianaVol said:
www.ncaa.com

How the 12-team College Football Playoff will work: Teams, schedule, bids

Here's a breakdown of how the new 12-team College Football Playoff will work — starting in 2024-25 — according to CFP officials.
www.ncaa.com www.ncaa.com

"The new 12-team College Football Playoff field will include the six highest-ranked conference champions, which will receive automatic bids. The top four teams will receive a first-round bye to the quarterfinals.

The six highest-ranked teams remaining will round out the 12-team format."

So, YES, the SECCG will still matter. It gives the opportunity to earn an important bye into the 2nd round.
BTW - if you applied the '24 rules to this year there would be 4 teams from the SEC...Bama, Ole Miss, UGA, and Mizzou.

In other words, if we would have handled our stuff against Mizzou then UT would have likely been in the bracket - beat both Mizzou and FLA and definitely would have been in the bracket.
Click to expand...

A conference champ will be crowned without playing a championship game.
 
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#23
#23
hog88 said:
A conference champ will be crowned without playing a championship game.
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While that avenue exists, I think right now there is a "gentleman's agreement" among the Power 4 at least that a conference championship game does happen.
I know the SEC and Big Ten both have a title game slated for 2024.

To your point though, if SEC goes to a 9 game schedule after '24 I can see them just saying best recod is conference champ.
 
#24
#24
It is definitely still relevant . It will have major seeding implications. It could be the difference between having a bye or having to travel to Ann Arbor or Eugene for a CFP game.
 
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