SEC Football Q&A: Is Georgia a Legit College Football Playoff Contender?
As we turn the calendar from October to November, it's now the home stretch for many teams in the playoff hunt, players in the Heisman Trophy race and coaches looking to save their jobs.
Georgia will play Florida this weekend in a game that could boost the Bulldogs' playoff hopes and simultaneously send Gators head coach Will Muschamp to the unemployment line.
Meanwhile, LSU and Alabama have two weeks to prepare for their showdown in Baton Rouge, after both looked fantastic in wins last weekend. In Columbia, Steve Spurrier's South Carolina Gamecocks already have dropped four games with several more difficult matchups left on the schedule.
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Let's get you prepared for the final month of the season with a little SEC Q&A.
Oh, without a doubt. In fact, Georgia is one of only a few teams that controls its playoff destiny heading into the final month of the season.
If Georgia wins out, head coach Mark Richt's crew will make the College Football Playoff and likely be either a No. 2 seed or a No. 1 seed (depending on whether Florida State goes down). The Bulldogs would have a win over Auburn (Nov. 15) and whoever wins the SEC West in the SEC Championship Game in Atlanta.
That's not as farfetched as it may seem. With Florida, Kentucky, Auburn, Charleston Southern and Georgia Tech remaining, the Bulldogs will likely be underdogs in just one of those games—Auburn—which will be played in Athens. The path sets up well and is syncing up nicely with Georgia finding its groove.
Nick Chubb filled in wonderfully for suspended running back Todd Gurley in road games at Missouri and Arkansas, rushing for 345 yards and three touchdowns in those two games. At the same time, the much-maligned defense was busy picking off six passes—one shy of their total for the entire 2013 season.
Yes, Georgia is very much a playoff contender—especially if Gurley comes back soon, which is something that is expected. Even if the Bulldogs lose to Auburn, they still might make it to Atlanta and make life miserable for whoever emerges from the SEC West.
Would a two-loss Georgia team with an SEC title make the playoff? At that point, it'd be hard to keep out.
Certainly more of a shot now than it did two weeks ago, when the offense looked lost and the defense still had issues.
Since the Florida game, though, LSU has found its identity.
The offense found a groove with a bruising rushing attack and a punishing offensive line that creates holes the size of the Grand Canyon for running backs Leonard Fournette, Terrence Magee and Kenny Hilliard. Fournette rushed for 140 yards against the tough Gators defense and then 113 against the Rebels last weekend in two big wins for the Tigers.
The Tigers have also been better stopping the run, and Kendell Beckwith's emergence at middle linebacker is a big reason for that. Beckwith took over for D.J. Welter following the Auburn game, and he has responded with 26 tackles over the last three games.
They've got a shot, but I wouldn't pick the Tigers to win if I had to make a pick right now.
LSU's pass defense is great, but there's nobody on LSU's roster—or, really, anybody's roster—who can cover Tide wide receiver Amari Cooper.
On the flip side, Alabama's front seven is fast and physical, and it will present a tremendous challenge to the Tigers offensive line and running backs. The Tide's defense will put the game in the hands of Tigers quarterback Anthony Jennings, who has completed just 50 percent of his passes, tossing eight touchdowns and five picks this season.
Not exactly the most reassuring thing in the world.
After Steve Spurrier's performance last week in the 42-35 loss to Auburn, not a chance.
The Head Ball Coach had those ball plays workin' on the Plains, racking up 535 total yards, converting 5-of-6 fourth downs and recovering a third-quarter surprise onside kick in what was a wildly entertaining game between the Gamecocks and the Tigers.
According to ESPN.com, Spurrier got a raise during the offseason that pays him $4 million per year through the 2018 season. Unless Spurrier wins an SEC title before 2018, I would expect him to stick around through the entire contract.
It's no secret, though, that he wants another SEC title. If that happens before his contract runs out, it wouldn't surprise me at all if Spurrier rides off into the sunset and chases a little white ball around a large lawn in Crescent Beach, Florida, every day for the rest of his life.
As far as who replaces Spurrier, it's hard to know what the market will look like when the Head Ball Coach hangs up the visor. If Chad Morris is still Clemson's offensive coordinator, though, it would be wise for the Gamecocks to raid enemy territory and get him before somebody else does.
Barrett Sallee is the lead SEC college football writer and video analyst for Bleacher Report as well as a co-host of the CFB Hangover on Bleacher Report Radio (Sundays, 9-11 a.m. ET) on Sirius 93, XM 208.
Quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. All stats are courtesy of cfbstats.com, and all recruiting information is courtesy of 247Sports. Follow Barrett on Twitter @BarrettSallee.
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