9 SEC Teams Could Make the College Football Playoff Under Expanded Format

With a 24-team College Football Playoff now officially on the horizon, if there's any question about who will benefit, there's one obvious answer: the SEC. While the Big Ten has the last three CFP titles, the SEC consistently packs the top 25 with a ton of squads (eight at the moment). With a 24-team field, the SEC will have a field day. For proof, project a 24-team field on the current SEC and see how nine SEC squads would (or could) likely be Playoff bound.

Georgia

This is the easy one. Georgia is the leader in the SEC clubhouse and would probably be in even in the old 2-team title showdown days.

Alabama

The Tide sitting at No. 3 with three relatively easy games left on their regular season slate suggests that the Tide would have been in the old four-team CFP field. Not much to explain here.

Texas

The Longhorns are currently No. 6 with their 7-2 mark. Texas is very nearly set for the Playoff, but is still about to face LSU. In a 24-team field, that game's irrelevant. 9-3 Texas is more than good enough for the field and even 8-4 Texas might be.

Tennessee

The 7-2 Vols' biggest remaining challenge is LSU next week, but again, a 9-3 Tennessee team would be an absolute lock in a 24-team field, and 8-4 wouldn't be out of the realm of possibility.

Kentucky

The 7-2 Wildcats are currently the last team in the field and probably have to sweep their last three games (Florida, at Mizzou, Louisville) to stay in the Playoff. An extra loss wouldn't harm Kentucky in a 24-team field.

South Carolina

The Gamecocks are at No. 17 and with three losses, probably have to have an upset over Georgia to have legitimate Playoff aspirations. But an 8-4 South Carolina team would have at least a chance at the Playoff field-- particularly if they overachieve and keep the Georgia game competitive.

Ole Miss

The No. 19 Rebels also already have three losses and likely don't have enough room to get back into the CFP picture with Oklahoma, Wofford, and Mississippi State ahead on the schedule. A 9-3 Ole Miss team probably gets left ouf ot the 12-team field, but it wouldn't get left out of a 24-team field.

LSU

The Tigers are No. 21 and also already have three losses. With Texas and Tennessee upcoming, LSU probably needs a sweep of the games to get back into the Playoff conversation. In a 24-team field, even a split would make LSU a plausible Playoff team.

Missouri

The Tigers, with three losses, are currently No. 22 and will likely fall out of the top 25 entirely in their trip to Georgia next week. But with Kentucky a likely slight underdog at Mizzou the next weke, in a 24-team field, it's still viable that an 8-4 Missouri team could sneak into the Playoff.

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This article was originally published on www.si.com/fannation/college/cfb-hq as 9 SEC Teams Could Make the College Football Playoff Under Expanded Format.