The SEC is coming.
With the School Soccer Playoff first-round solely two weeks away — the primary sport is Friday, Dec. 19 — the sector is near being set, and the SEC may simply be two outcomes away from ruling the opening weekend of the 12-team playoff.
CFP first-round is likely to be held solely in SEC nation
With a second win this season by No. 9 Alabama (10-2) over No. 3 Georgia (11-1, 7-1 in SEC) within the SEC championship sport on Saturday (4 p.m. ET, ABC), the convention might be in line to host the 4 first-round playoff video games, so long as No. 4 Texas Tech (11-1, 8-1 in Massive 12) additionally wins Saturday’s Massive 12 championship (12 p.m. ET, ABC).
In that state of affairs, No. 5 Oregon (11-1, 8-1 in Massive Ten) would seemingly transfer into the highest 4 whereas SEC groups would populate Nos. 5-8. The committee’s greatest debate might be whether or not Georgia or No. 8 Oklahoma (10-2, 6-2 in SEC) hosts a first-round playoff sport. The Sooners beat Alabama in Tuscaloosa earlier this season, whereas the Bulldogs went 2-0 towards No. 6 Ole Miss (11-1, 7-1 in SEC) and No. 13 Texas Longhorns (9-3, 6-2 in SEC), the 2 groups that beat Oklahoma.
In 2024, the SEC, the place it purportedly “simply means extra,” performed a lesser function within the playoff; solely three groups (Georgia, Texas and Tennessee) certified for the inaugural 12-team area. The convention went 2-3, with the Longhorns claiming each wins and the Vols and Bulldogs every dropping by double digits.
The SEC ought to go away a a lot greater imprint on 2025. Final season, dwelling groups within the CFP first-round video games went 4-0. All 4 went on to win their quarterfinals, which might be more durable to copy after the CFP decision-makers amended the playoff construction by rewarding the 4 greatest groups with byes versus the highest 4 convention champions.
However for a convention that dominated the game for 20 years — claiming 14 nationwide titles from 2003-22 — 2025 has been a little bit of a return to type for the SEC after failing to position a staff within the championship sport the final two seasons. Among the many conferences, it should have essentially the most eggs within the CFP basket. All it wants is for one to hatch.
