Tennessee football – not LSU – should be playing Georgia in SEC Championship | Toppmeyer
The SEC’s two best teams will not play for its conference championship.
We know this, because we know Tennessee is better than LSU. The Vols invaded Tiger Stadium and thumped LSU, 40-13, in October in Baton Rouge.
LSU (9-3, 6-2 SEC), on the heels of a loss to previously hapless Texas A&M, will stumble into the SEC Championship to face No. 1 Georgia in Atlanta.
LSU won a division full of paper tigers thanks to an overtime victory against Alabama. Credit Brian Kelly for a solid debut, in spite of Saturday’s result, but that game proved this team does not belong opposite Georgia in Atlanta.
This marks the SEC’s least-compelling conference championship matchup since Alabama plastered Florida in 2016.
Divisions are to blame.
The SEC split into divisions in 1992 after expanding to 12 teams.
Creating divisions allowed the SEC to take advantage of an NCAA rule allowing for a conference championship game if a league featured at least 12 teams and was divided into two sides, a savvy – and lucrative – move that changed the sport. The SEC became a trendsetter. Every FBS conference now plays a championship game.
But NCAA rules evolved, and divisions no longer are required to conduct a conference championship. So, divisions are sunsetting in leagues throughout the country. The SEC plans to ditch divisions after Oklahoma and Texas join the conference in favor of a cohesive, 16-team league that will send its top two teams to the conference championship.
If such a format were in place this season, the Vols (10-2, 6-2) would earn a rematch with Georgia (12-0, 8-0) and retain hope of qualifying for the College Football Playoff. As it is, Tennessee is resigned to watching from home and likely accepting a New Year’s Six bowl bid.
The Bulldogs beat Tennessee 27-13 earlier this month in Athens, and I have no reason to think a sequel would yield a different result, especially after UT's star quarterback Hendon Hooker suffered a season-ending knee injury on Nov. 19. I also have no reason to think LSU, which got run over by the Aggies, will threaten Georgia.
Eliminating divisions will increase the likelihood of a rematch in the conference championship.
It also will increase the likelihood that the conference’s two best teams will meet in the league championship.
If Spencer Rattler returns, what’s South Carolina’s ceiling?
Spencer Rattler is talented enough to be on an NFL roster come April. South Carolina’s quarterback probably could earn selection on Day 3 of the draft, but he’d be overshadowed in a class that is expected to include Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud and Will Levis.
How much might Rattler improve his stock if he returns for one more season in Shane Beamer’s program?
Rattler finally found his stride these past two weeks, and the Gamecocks slayed Tennessee and Clemson. He threw for 360 yards Saturday while the Gamecocks bounced Clemson from the playoff picture.
Beamer’s program build remains on track, and the Gamecocks are assembling a top-15 recruiting class. Another college season for Rattler would be mutually beneficial and should keep the Gamecocks in the Top 25 in 2023.
Bryce Young, take a bow
If Saturday was it for Young at Alabama, what a way to finish a brilliant career that I believe will only be fully appreciated after his departure.
Young, who projects as a first-round NFL draft pick, compiled 391 yards of total offense in Alabama’s 49-27 Iron Bowl victory. He waved in appreciation of Crimson Tide fans as he departed the field.
The trend is for early round draft projections to opt out of bowl games. Young, who played through a shoulder injury for portions of this season, said he hasn’t decided his next move.
Young will not repeat as the Heisman Trophy winner. He’s been very good, but a few other quarterbacks have better stats for better teams.
Nonetheless, I maintain that college football’s best player wore No. 9 in Bryant-Denny Stadium on Saturday.
Three and out
1. Caleb Williams moved into pole position for the Heisman Trophy after Southern Cal beat Notre Dame. Williams winning college football’s top award in his first season with the Trojans would be the epitome of the free agency era. Expect another winter full of quarterback maneuvering. Unlike last season, Alabama should shop for a transfer quarterback, given Young’s expected exit for the NFL.
2. For all the talk of Mike Leach’s air raid, Zach Arnett’s defense is why Mississippi State is 8-4 and a prime candidate for a Florida bowl game. A veteran Bulldogs defense limited Ole Miss’ high-powered ground game to just 78 yards in MSU’s 24-22 Egg Bowl victory. Hiring Arnett as a young defensive coordinator from San Diego State remains Leach’s smartest move as MSU’s coach.
3. Missouri’s entrance into the SEC voided the Tigers’ rivalry games, so its new conference concocted the Battle Line Rivalry with Arkansas. I’ve been hesitant to accept this series as anything more than a rivalry in name only, but the Tigers treating the unwieldy Battle Line Trophy like it’s the Holy Grail might cause me to rewire my thinking. Missouri beat Arkansas on Friday to earn bowl eligibility. The Tigers are 7-2 in this series since joining the SEC, and they cemented this season as a bust for the Razorbacks (6-6).
Blake Toppmeyer is an SEC Columnist for the USA TODAY Network. Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter @btoppmeyer.
The "Topp Rope," is his twice-weekly SEC football column publishing throughout the USA TODAY Network. If you enjoy Blake’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that will allow you access to all of it. Also, check out his podcast, SEC Football Unfiltered, or access exclusive columns via the SEC Unfiltered newsletter.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY NETWORK: Tennessee football – not LSU – should play Georgia in SEC Championship
