3-Loss SEC Head Coach Makes Bold Playoff Case for His Team Adding to Committee’s Dilemma

Finally, we are talking about this. With Clemson and Miami both losing their final games of the season, it has opened up a whole new discussion regarding the 12th spot on the playoff bracket. Now, you might think, why is there a whole debate going on? See, 3 teams are gunning for it right now: Alabama, South Carolina, and Ole Miss. Now, picking the lucky one is hard. All 3 of these teams have had weird losses, and all 3 of these teams are 9-3 with no conference title game in sight. But one still stands out. See, South Carolina has had a massive season. Their 3 losses have come from actually good teams (Bama, Ole Miss, and LSU) so why not pick them for the playoff spot?

Well, HC Shane Beamer is finally here pushing for the Gamecocks in the playoffs. “As far as our team goes, I just, you know, to me, if the committee steps back and says, right now at this moment who are the 12 best teams in college football, It’s hard to argue that we’re not one of them,” Beamer points out. This stand makes sense. If we go back and compare the Gamecocks with the Tide or even Ole Miss, we have to narrow it down to their losses.

See, while Bama is a massive name in the SEC, they were just not good enough this season. That loss to Vandy still stings. Adding insult to injury is the Oklahoma game where Jalen Milroe was nothing but a punching bag for the Sooners defensive line.

Bama scored 3 points in that showdown. Any true Crimson Tide fan knows how bad this is. On the other end, if we are talking about Ole Miss, then it’s a different story. They lost to LSU and Kentucky, but the nail in the coffin was the Gators game.

It’s the Bama scenario all over again. They won a massive game against Georgia only to lose against a Gators team whose entire offense is dependent on their backup quarterback. The whole thing was jinxed, and it felt like QB Jaxson Dart was just not in the right mindset. South Carolina still stands as one of the perfect picks for the spot, but at the same time, we also know why there is a possibility they won’t be picked.

Dark Horse of the SEC: South Carolina Gamecocks

First, let’s clear out the Ole Miss debate. No, Lane Kiffin and Co. are not getting picked. Their losses game come from opponents who have been smashed by Bama and SC, so there is no chance they are making the cut.

But when we switch over to Bama, it is a different case. See, anyone would say that losing to an unranked team should automatically cut you off the list, but Alabama is just too big. Even if we factor in the Vandy loss and Milroe being horrendous mid-season, Kalen DeBoer and Co. still have a better chance of securing the spot.

If you think about it, Alabama brings in much more viewership and money, and this alone could tip the scales in their favor. Still, we gotta wait for tomorrow’s CFP rankings and after that; we have the conference title games this weekend. So anything can happen.