ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit is one of college football’s most respected analysts, so when he talks most of the college football world listens.
As college football approaches the final week of the regular season for most teams, the College Football Playoff pictures is starting to become more clear.
The Southeastern Conference Championship Game is already set, with SEC East champion Georgia set to face unbeaten SEC West champion LSU at Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta on December 7.
LSU sits atop the College Football Playoff committee’s rankings entering Week 14, while Georgia sits right on the edge of qualifying for the playoff with the No. 4 overall ranking.
So what happens if the Bulldogs beat the Tigers in the SEC title game? Georgia seemingly would be a choice for the playoff as a 12-1 SEC champion, but what happens to a 12-1 LSU team that has several signature wins on its resume?
Herbstreit weighed in on that very scenario on Sunday:
Herbstreit predicts that a Bulldogs win against LSU would produce a College Football Playoff of:
Kirk Herbstreit’s CFP picks if Georgia beats LSU
- Ohio State
- Clemson
- Georgia
- LSU
Entering the final week of the season at 11-0, both Ohio State and Clemson appear to be in the driving seat to win their respective conference titles.
Given that Oregon lost to Arizona State on Saturday night, that leaves a one-loss Utah as the lone CFP possibility remaining in the Pac-12. Oklahoma and Baylor remain possibilities as one-loss teams in the Big 12, though the committee does not seem to value their resumes quiet as high as that of teams from the Big Ten or the SEC.
The remaining wildcard in the College Football Playoff discussion is Alabama, which entering the Iron Bowl with a 10-1 record. If the Crimson Tide wins that game, it will carry an 11-1 record (with its lone loss to LSU) into Selection Sunday.
The loss of quarterback Tua Tagovailoa could impact the committee’s decision on Alabama.
It will be interesting to follow. Stay tuned.
SEC Y'ALL 