Nick Saban said there should be only one 3-loss SEC team considered for the playoffs. And for him, that team should be Kirby Smart‘s Georgia, who are currently 9-2. However, this scenario is for if the Bulldogs beat Georgia Tech and somehow lose the SEC Championship game. But is that about to change? It almost looks like there’s going to be more than one 3-loss SEC team making it to this year’s playoffs. Still, some ACC teams need to fall for that to happen. 

No. 15 South Carolina could be one of the 3-loss SEC teams to clinch a CFP berth. CFB analyst Brad Crawford revealed the possibility of the SEC having more than one 3-loss playoff team in an X post on November 30. He wrote, “#Gamecocks are going to need 2 of the following 5 teams to lose to have a shot at being inside Tuesday night’s top 11: SMU (vs. Cal), Alabama (vs. Auburn), Tennessee (at Vanderbilt), Indiana (at Purdue), Miami (at Syracuse). 

Three SEC teams suffered their third-season losses last weekend—No. 13 Alabama, No. 14 Ole Miss, and No. 20 Texas A&M. This would have ended their playoff hopes in normal circumstances. But the 12-team CFP format extended their hopes. Alabama could still make it to the playoffs with their big wins over the Georgia Bulldogs and LSU Tigers. Ole Miss’ playoff chances could lie in the hands of South Carolina. 

If Shane Beamer and the Gamecocks win against ACC powerhouse Clemson in their upcoming final game, they have a chance to surpass Lane Kiffin and the Rebels. But for them to truly secure a playoff spot, the leading ACC teams should lose their final games. But it’s too early to say because the ACC is exuding strong chances of producing multiple playoff teams. 

The ACC has a strong chance of producing multiple playoff teams

As we see from the schedule above, the final week of the regular CFB season features some of the top ACC programs slated for a potential playoff game. No. 9 SMU leads the conference with a 10-1 record, followed by No. 12 Clemson (9-2) and No. 6 Miami (10-1). Both SMU and Miami are favored in their upcoming games. If the predictions are right, it’s very likely that they can both make it within the top 12 playoff bracket. 

Right now, the general prediction is that only three SEC teams have a real shot to play in the playoffs. As per the latest CFP rankings, Texas secured the No. 3 spot, Georgia is ranked No. 7 and Tennessee is the No. 8 seed. This playoff chaos will be put to rest once the regular season winds up, and we’ll see who the most deserving teams are.