Paul Finebaum updates his number of SEC teams in the CFP after Rivalry Week
With the regular season now over, Paul Finebaum didn’t change the amount of teams that he thinks will be in the CFP from the Southeastern Conference.
Finebaum gave that number while on ‘The Matt Barrie Show’ on Sunday. He stayed with three teams from the SEC to be in the College Football Playoff with the Texas Longhorns, Georgia Bulldogs, and Tennessee Volunteers.
“I’m still going with three right now,” Finebaum said.
One of Texas or Georgia is certain to get in with a bye as the winner of the SEC Championship. The other, though, would still almost certainly get in as an at-large. That’s so even if it were the Bulldogs who would have added a third loss in that scenario.
Tennessee will then likely be in now at 10-2 overall. Third losses the weekend before last amongst other options in the conference that were ahead of them have now allowed them to find their way into the field again as an at-large team.
So, that would leave Alabama, Ole Miss, and South Carolina out of the CFP for Finebaum.
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That’s just where those three teams find themselves considering what he’s expecting in the ACC Championship and Big 12 Championship. He also thinks the selection committee will find it to be easier to leave all three of them out rather than justifying taking one of them over the other two with them all at 9-3 overall.
“I just think – I think, in the end, it’s just like Clemson to win. You know that…If it’s a close game, I think SMU will probably sneak in,” said Finebaum. “I’ll defer the Big 12 to you.”
“I think the problem with Alabama, Ole Miss, and South Carolina? There’s not a convincing argument,” Finebaum said. “Thinking like a committee member? They’ll go, ‘Well, if we put Alabama in, then we get this debate. Let’s just leave all three out.'”
There were scenarios earlier in the season where they could have been five or so teams in the playoff from the Southeastern Conference. Now, with championship weekend coming up, the likeliest outcome looks to be just a trio with the ‘Horns, ‘Dawgs, and Vols representing the SEC in the CFP.