Ole Miss vs. Alabama vs. South Carolina, the College Football Playoff committee will make some enemies tonight
It feels longer than three days since rivalry weekend wrapped up and four days since Ole Miss beat Mississippi State in the Egg Bowl. It's probably due to the constant debate of which three-loss SEC team will be ranked highest.
Alabama, Ole Miss, and South Carolina fan bases believe they are the best No.1 ranked SEC team with a 9-3 record. Everybody has their method and calculations as to why it's them. The CFP selection committee will decide tonight, finally putting everybody's mind at ease, except two of those teams.
Who will be ranked highest? It's likely Alabama
First of all, please don't consider how the AP Poll looks. One voter didn't even include Ole Miss in the top 25, which shows that the Associated Press's voting needs to be taken with a pinch of salt.
Before this weekend's results, the CFP committee ranked them as Alabama, Ole Miss, and South Carolina. Since then, all three teams have won, with the Gamecocks beating No. 12-ranked Clemson. It was an impressive win for them on the road.
Shane Beamer says South Carolina deserves to be in the College Football Playoff:
— Matt Dowell (@MattDowellTV) November 30, 2024
"We got 3 losses, I understand that. But it's hard for me to sit there and say that we're not one of the 12 best teams in the country."
Mentions strength of schedule and road wins@GamecockFB pic.twitter.com/Dw5tkRd1ux
The problem for South Carolina is they have lost to both Bama and the Rebels this season, being dominated by Lane Kiffin's team in Columbia, something Lane Kiffin has been vocal about these past few days. Ole Miss and Alabama also hold wins over Georgia, currently ranked No. 7 and heading for an SEC Championship game.
The best wins for South Carolina aside from Clemson are Texas A&M and Missouri. The Aggies are likely dropping out of the top 25 this week, leaving them with two ranked wins, but Missouri will potentially be outside the top 20.
The big thing for the Gamecocks is that they are in better form down the stretch, winning their final six games. Injuries are irrelevant despite South Carolina fans bringing them up, as Ole Miss, for instance, had its No.1 wide receiver out for five games. Tre Harris was the most productive player in the country at his position before his injury.
It will be interesting to hear the thought process after the rankings are announced, with each team arguing why they should be ranked above the other two. We will see who is closer to making it to the 12-team playoff in several hours than the others.
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