Paul Finebaum: SEC Championship could be 'free game' for Georgia

It was a poor all-around opening weekend for ACC football.

Clemson did not score an offensive touchdown against Georgia and lost 10-3. Additionally, North Carolina lost to Virginia Tech and Miami looked out of place against Alabama. Those losses, paired with a couple of other tough losses in the conference, has concerned ESPN’s Paul Finebaum.

With Georgia coming away with a week one victory over Clemson, Finebaum believes that Georgia’s path to the College Football Playoff has never been clearer.

Finebaum: Outcome of SEC title game might not matter

If opening weekend is any indication, the ACC is going to have a down season. With Clemson already 0-1 with the other powers of the conference struggling out of the gate, the quality of opponents Clemson will face has lessened. For Finebaum, he thinks this could be the difference between the ultimate decision when picking teams for the College Football Playoff.

“Georgia might cruise to Atlanta, and the result of the SEC title game may not even matter,” Finebaum tweeted. “For Clemson, the schedule from here becomes nothing ore than a liability.”

Georgia held Clemson to three points and totaled seven sacks in the game. The only touchdown of the game came on a Georgia pick six.

Georgia has a clear path to College Football Playoff

Finebaum thinks that Georgia and Alabama will face off in the SEC title game. He doesn’t see any other team being there and would be surprised to see any other matchup. If that happens, it might turn out to be a “free” game for Georgia with both teams already having likely secured a spot in the Playoff. Meanwhile, Clemson’s path to a spot in the Playoff is very cloudy right now.

“Let’s forget about the ACC schedule for a second and the absolute massacre that this league took across the board,” Finebaum said. “Georgia, now, has a free path to the SEC Championship game. Unless Florida just simply blows us away and is a team that I’m not sure they are, then Georgia gets to Atlanta, they play Alabama, and it’s a free game. It’s like last year with Notre Dame, it didn’t matter if they won or not. They were going to the Playoff. And Georgia will very likely be in that position.

“And let’s say that Alabama is as good as they looked against an ACC team. That clogs up half the field right there. You know Ohio State is going to find a way. And Oklahoma in spite of what everyone said Saturday around 3 o’clock. What’s Clemson going to be doing? Beating the door down and saying, ‘Hey, we’ve got some wins over NC State and Miami and maybe North Carolina?’”

Georgia is at home for the next two weekends with matchups against UAB and South Carolina in Athens. If Georgia wants to make the College Football Playoff, they just have to continue taking care of its own business.