How SEC West Division Could Land 2 Teams in the College Football Playoff

We're still early enough in the college football season that most one-loss teams in power-five conferences shouldn't be eliminated from the playoff conversation. 

Similarly, the idea that a single conference, and perhaps division, could get two teams into the College Football Playoff shouldn't be officially ruled out, either. 

Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn certainly thinks so. 

"I think there's going to be good chance there will be two teams from the [SEC] West, or at least two teams from the SEC, to make the Final Four,"Malzahn said Thursday on ESPN Radio's Mike & Mike.

Of course, Malzahn is going to stump for what benefits the division and conference in which he coaches because, ultimately, it means that it could benefit his team. 

The possibility of two SEC West teams making the playoff isn't unfathomable, however. While, in theory, winning a conference matters, it's not a prerequisite. The theme maintained by CFP executive director Bill Hancock is that the field will consist of "the four best teams." 

What qualifies as "best" remains to be seen, but what is known is that it doesn't solely mean being a conference champ. In 2011, the two best teams in the BCS' eyes, Alabama and LSU, came from the SEC West. 

Other recent history suggests that, while rare, two teams from the same division could be playoff bound. A mock selection committee re-examining the 2008 season included Texas and Oklahoma, both formerly of the now-defunct Big 12 South, in its "practice" four-team playoff. 

The general consensus in 2014 is that the SEC West is college football's strongest division. Bruce Feldman of Fox Sports wrote as much in late September, and the latest Associated Press and coaches polls have five West teams among the top 25. B/R's playoff guru, Sam Chi, has three SEC West in his latest playoff mock standings. 

Interestingly, though, four of the five top SEC West teams are ranked in the top 10 even though their toughest football ahead of them. Put another way, many teams at the top of the West division still have to play one another. 

Team	Opponent	Opponent	Opponent	Opponent
Texas A&M	Ole Miss (Oct. 11)	Alabama (Oct. 18)	Auburn (Nov. 8)	Missouri (Nov. 15)
Ole Miss	Texas A&M (Oct. 11)	Auburn (Nov. 1)	Mississippi State (Nov. 29)	--
Alabama	Texas A&M (Oct. 18)	Mississippi State (Nov. 15)	Auburn (Nov. 29)	--
Mississippi State	Auburn (Oct. 11)	Alabama (Nov. 15)	Ole MIss (Nov. 29)
Auburn	Mississippi State (Oct. 11)	Ole Miss (Nov. 1)	Texas A&M (Nov. 8)	Alabama (Nov. 29)

That's not to suggest that the West is overrated, but it's also worth pointing out that, prior to Week 6, the best win by any team in that division (with the benefit of hindsight) was Auburn's road victory over Kansas State on Sept. 18. 

That could mean a couple of things. On one hand, it could mean that the West cannibalizes itself and no one escapes without multiple losses. On the other, two teams could rise to the top with, say, one loss between them. 

Either scenario creates the potential for a fascinating conversation at season's end, though largely dependent on what the rest of the landscape looks like. 

Does the Big Ten champion—say Michigan State or Ohio State—still have one loss? How about the Pac-12? Do Florida State and Georgia Tech get through the season unscathed and meet in the ACC championship game? These are all questions that would play a part in shaping the Final Four. 

Strength of schedule varies, to be sure, but the general rule of thumb for a playoff-caliber team, at least among power-five conferences, is relatively consistent: There will be some stinkers, some decent opponents and some good ones. 

The nuances of side-by-side resumes is where things get tricky. 

In other words, it's going to take a lot of losing outside the SEC for the West to get two teams into the playoff—and that's assuming the West doesn't beat itself up along the way. 

Mathematically, there would have to be two others conferences that take themselves out of the playoff race for this to be a possibility. Which ones would those be? It's tough to tell as of Week 7. 

There's also the matter of perception. 

Just as the SEC's reputation could factor into a pair of teams making the playoff, other conferences don't have that luxury. 

The Big Ten's reputation has tanked, especially after a pretty horrific effort in Week 2. The Big 12 is in an interesting position since it lacks a conference championship game and puts teams at a greater risk to lose because of a nine-game conference schedule. 

The Pac-12 lacks other major brands outside Oregon, UCLA and USC. Once Arizona upset Oregon last Thursday, the narrative shifted to whether the Pac-12 would have a playoff team at all (this is, of course, premature). 

Even the SEC East, which appears to be wide open, has been knocked down a couple of pegs perception-wise thanks to South Carolina's 3-3 record and Missouri's loss to Indiana. 

Conference perception ultimately shouldn't aid or hinder what a certain team does during the regular season. Until the selection committee proves that point, however, it's an interesting storyline. 

Whether the SEC West benefits from it or not remains to be seen. As of the second week in October, however, just about anything is possible. 

Ben Kercheval is a lead writer for college football.