LITTLE ROCK — With one month remaining in the college football season, the stock description of the Southeastern Conference doesn’t fly. You know, the one about being the best in the country from top to bottom.
At the top are Florida, Alabama and LSU - a combined 15-1 in the SEC. There is no pack of pursuers. The other nine teams in the league have lost at least three conference games and no convoluted results are needed for seven teams, including Arkansas, to finish 3-5 in the league.
In fact, the Razorbacks, Auburn, Mississippi, Mississippi State, South Carolina, Tennessee and Kentucky will each be 3-5 if:
! The only loss suffered by the big three is Saturday when Alabama plays LSU.
! Vanderbilt does not win a league game.
! All others win their home games.
In that case, officials of some bowl games are going to have to hold their collective noses.
The SEC has so many bowl commitments that several 7-5 teams will be in line for attractive bowl assignments such as Dallas or Atlanta or Tampa.
From the SEC’s perspective, the bowl picture trickles down from Atlanta, and Alabama vs.
Florida in the championship game is no cinch. The same LSU that stopped a fourth-andinches to beat Mississippi State and recorded only a measly field goal against the Gators can beat Alabama.
The LSU defense is that good and the offense has improved.
No matter whether the Crimson Tide or the Tigers take on the Gators, the winner in Atlanta goes to the national championship game and the loser plays in the Sugar Bowl.
The odd team out gets a trip to the Capital One Bowl as a consolation prize.
After that, the Outback, Chickfil-A and AT&T Cotton bowls huddle up with the league office to determine the next three picks. Based on the formula advanced above, Georgia would be 5-3 in the league, but the Bulldogs finish up against Georgia Tech and that could be embarrassing.
Still, the runner-up to Florida would be an easier sell than a South Carolina or Tennessee at 3-5, and the Outback has first choice of teams from the Eastern Division so let’s put the Bulldogs in Tampa.
The Cotton Bowl has fi rst preference of teams from the Western Division but can pluck a team from the Eastern Division once the Outback Bowl has made its choice. A 7-5 Tennessee under fi rst-year coach Lane Ki◊n might sell lots of tickets to a fan base pumped about the future.
Besides, the father-son thing is a nice hook and the head coach is apt to say something quotable.
Atlanta officials had a hankering for Ole Miss, but the loss to Auburn removed some shine from the Rebels and they could have a bad November. Like Georgia,Auburn could finish on a downer since the Tigers close with Alabama. Still, either Ole Miss or Auburn is likely for Atlanta.
Memphis and Nashville have the next two choices and Arkansas would be a logical choice for Memphis, particularly if the game matched the Razorbacks and Ryan Mallett against Conference USA champion Houston and Case Keenum. Without reservation, ESPN could promise a high-scoring, pass-fi lled evening.
Mallett is going to break several Arkansas school records and Keenum is on track to throw for 5,000 yards or more for the second straight year.
Arkansas’ immediate task is South Carolina.
HARRY KING IS A SPORTS COLUMNIST IN LITTLE ROCK FOR STEPHENS MEDIA’S ARKANSAS NEWS BUREAU.
Sports, Pages 7 on 11/03/2009
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