SEC Underdog Teams with Easy Roads to Bowl Games

Because of the Bowl tie in system, the amount of fans they bring and the intensity they bring to the game, the SEC has the easiest road to land at least eight of their twelve teams in a bowl.  And this is not counting the BCS Championship Bowl and the Sugar Bowl.

And this is not counting the Sugar Bowl tie in or the BCS Championship Game.  To not make a bowl game is a real slap in the face for most SEC schools.

Baring any unforeseen acts of God, we know that Florida, Alabama, Ole Miss, Georgia and LSU should see post season play this year.  Of the others, who has an easy road to join the bowl contenders?  Let's examine.

The SEC EAST

It's hard for some SEC schools to admit they are in the bottom 25 percent of the league and not go bowling, but last year Tennessee fell just that far.  In doing so they fired their coach and hired a young man who promised to bring intensity, headlines and his father to Knoxville.

Whether he brings Tennessee anything other than continued embarrassment remains to be seen, but he will bring them back to bowl games based on the schedule alone.

Tennessee's schedule contains Western Kentucky, UCLA (who only won four games last year), Ohio University, Memphis, and a depleted Vanderbilt. That's five sure wins a monkey wearing a visor could win with Tennessee's talent pool and the defense John Chavis left them.

Not even the staunchest Vol supporter thinks this is the year they can beat Florida, Georgia, Ole Miss, or Alabama without a miracle.

So that mean in all reality, all Kiffin has to do to improve is win one game, either Auburn, South Carolina, or Kentucky.

Failure to win at least one of those three games means that Tennessee failed to deliver an adequate coach with this hire and another bowl season at home.

Kentucky has the next easiest road in the SEC East.  With games against Miami of Ohio, a down Louisville team, University of of Louisiana Monroe, Mississippi State and Vandy, that gives them five very winnable games also.

Like Tennessee, they will have to find one win among South Carolina, Auburn and Tennessee, last years SEC cellar dwellers to become bowl eligible. 

To do so would let Rich Brooks go out in style as the four-in-a-row bowl coach at Kentucky.  Many are pulling for him as he is a class act.

The SEC WEST

In his second year in the SEC, Bobby Petrino will find the experience a bit easier, thanks to games against Missouri State, a really pitiful Texas A&M team that only won only four games and lost games to such losers as Arkansas state, Eastern Michigan, Troy, and Mississippi State.

I almost put Troy in the questionable column because they have played teams tough, but Arkansas should be able to put them under with the talent on hand this year.

So with these five teams down, like the others mentioned so far, he only has to win against either Auburn or South Carolina to have his sixth win. 

Many don't see this as the year he'll upset either Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Ole Miss or LSU.  But of the struggling teams in the SEC West, he has the easiest shot to at least make a bowl.

Gene Chizik inherited a team, an administration and a fan base in conflict with one another.  That's not an easy obstacle to overcome.

But a stout defense a QB with a several games under his belt and this schedule should help bring the divisions back together and celebrate in a bowl this year.

With games against Louisiana Tech, Mississippi State, Ball State and Furman, that is four sure wins. 

Ball State a pushover?  Didn't they go bowling last year and only lose their final two games?  Yes because they were the only two decent teams they played all year and they were severely stomped in them.  Those scores were 42-24 against Buffalo and 56-13 by Tulsa.  They would have been a gimmie win against Auburn last year.

No one is betting any big money on them upsetting either West Virginia, LSU, Ole Miss, Georgia or Alabama this year, so this leaves Auburn having to find two wins among Tennessee, Arkansas or Kentucky.  With the Auburn defense this is within reason happening.

Though anything can happen during the course of a season, from mind numbing momentum to disastrous injuries, at least at this point of the season this is how the SEC is shaping up.