As things stand now, SEC commissioner Greg Sankey is happy with how things are playing out. happy with how the College Football Playoff committee is treating his teams, happy that people are talking about SEC tiebreakers and happy that, in his view, it validates the importance of the SEC Championship Game.
There has been concern that Playoff expansion will lessen the importance of conference championship games and severely hurt the teams that lose them. As this year’s SEC game approaches, Sankey remains optimistic that won’t be the case.
Speaking Wednesday night on the SEC Network, Sankey pointed to past years when the loser of the SEC championship still made the four-team Playoff, such as when Georgia made it in 2021, albeit falling from the first seed to the third seed.
“I would expect that the (selection) committee continues that form of thinking, that these championship games, that 13th data point, is more of a reward and a recognition for the work done,” Sankey said.
He reiterated that the championship game — which makes the SEC a lot of money in attendance and TV ratings — remains important.
“The championship game itself is iconic,” Sankey said. “I think it can remain iconic even in this changed environment because that SEC championship still has meaning, particularly for teams that uniquely are in the hunt right now. Remember the last few years, you know, first second week of November, all of this was decided. So when I talk about building interest, as much as people are focused on what’s happening around the championship and tiebreakers, we have magnified the interest.”
Indeed, the possibility of an eight-way tie for first place has been much discussed, along with how such ties will be broken. There’s a chance the situation could play out more cleanly, especially if Tennessee beats Georgia on Saturday, then beats Vanderbilt in the final week to face the winner of the Texas-Texas A&M game. But that scenario requires neither the Longhorns nor Aggies losing before then.
If they lose, or Georgia beats Tennessee, a multi-team tie for first or second place is likely, and given the quirks of the schedule, where teams only play half the rest of the league, it’s likely to go to the SEC’s fourth tiebreaker: schedule strength, as in the combined record of conference opponents.
Sankey referred to “people on the Internet” talking about the tiebreakers and scenarios, then reminded viewers that he brought up this possibility awhile ago.
“Remember, there were those who say, well, games won’t mean as much. I mean, we have taken the it just means more thing and, like, added to it exponentially,” Sankey said. “I said back in Dallas at media days that come November, we’re gonna have all kinds of articles about a potential eight-way tie. And guess what we have, we have me being a prophet.”
Sankey briefly weighed in on the Playoff rankings. If the season ended after last weekend, the SEC would have four teams in the field: No. 3 Texas, No. 7 Tennessee, No. 10 Alabama and No. 11 Ole Miss. A couple of more teams — No. 12 Georgia and No. 15 Texas A&M — almost certainly would make it if they win out, although probably at the expense of one of the teams above them.
Sankey mostly stayed away from commenting on them, clearly seeming happy with how his conference has been treated so far. There were eight SEC teams ranked by the CFP this week, by far the most of any conference.
“I was pleased relative to maybe a year ago, about movement and the willingness and the statement from the chair that each each week, they look fresh,” Sankey said. “And I’m confident that the Southeastern Conference will distinguish itself.”
(Photo: Denny Simmons / USA Today Network Via Imagn Images)
