SEC Championship Game scenarios after Week 12: Georgia, Texas head-to-head in pursuit of conference title
The college football season is in the final stretch as the calendar turns to Week 13, with the SEC playing great football over the first 12 weeks of the season. The 16 teams have a combined 100-60 record, including a dominant 48-8 mark in non-conference games.
There are seven SEC teams ranked in the latest rendition of the AP Top 25 Poll, with five among the top 10 teams in the nation. There were three additional programs among the others receiving votes, meaning that 10 of the conference's 16 teams received some recognition from voters.
While the more important College Football Playoff rankings had nine SEC teams ranked entering the week - and four in the top-12 - and will not be updated until Tuesday. There are several teams who still have an opportunity to reach the SEC Championship Game.
Two teams - the No. 3-ranked Texas Longhorns and No. 15-ranked Texas A&M Aggies who will play in the final week of the season - have just one conference loss, while four others have two conference losses.
Barring any upsets, there will be five two loss teams with cumulative conference winning percentage determining the tiebreaker. Take a look at the conference championship game scenarios for each of those programs below:
SEC Championship Game scenarios after Week 12
#1 Texas Longhorns
The No. 3-ranked Texas Longhorns control their own path to the SEC Championship Game. They are 9-1, and 5-1 in conference play, with their lone loss coming to the Georgia Bulldogs.
If they beat the Kentucky Wildcats and Texas A&M Aggies over their final two games, they will play for the conference title. If they lose their final game, they will rely on a tiebreaker with a cumulative conference winning percentage of .415.
#2 Texas A&M Aggies
The No. 15-ranked Texas A&M Aggies also control their own path to the conference title. They are 8-2, and 5-1 in conference play, with their lone conference loss against the South Carolina Gamecocks.
They will reach the SEC Championship Game if they beat the Auburn Tigers and Texas Longhorns. If they lose their final game, they will rely on a tiebreaker with a cumulative conference winning percentage of .442.
#3 Alabama Crimson Tide
The No. 7-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide have the best chance of any two-loss team to reach the SEC Championship Game. They are 8-2, and 4-2 in conference play, with their losses coming to the Vanderbilt Commodores and Tennessee Volunteers, respectively.
They have the best cumulative conference winning percentage, while their opponents have a .509 winning percentage. Alabama faces the Oklahoma Sooners and the Auburn Tigers over the final two weeks.
#4 Georgia Bulldogs
The No. 8-ranked Georgia Bulldogs are 8-2, and 6-2 in SEC play, with their losses coming to the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Ole Miss Rebels, respectively.
They have the second best cumulative conference winning percentage, while their opponents have a .451 winning percentage. Georgia has finished their conference schedule.
#5 Ole Miss Rebels
The No. 9-ranked Ole Miss Rebels have an 8-2 record, with a 4-2 mark in SEC play, with their losses coming to the Kentucky Wildcats and LSU Tigers.
They have the third best cumulative conference winning percentage, while their opponents have a .400 winning percentage. Ole Miss faces the Florida Gators and the Mississippi State Bulldogs over the final two weeks.
#6 Tennessee Volunteers
The No. 10-ranked Tennessee are also 8-2, with a 5-2 record in SEC play, with their losses coming to the Arkansas Razorbacks and the Georgia Bulldogs, respectively.
They have the worst cumulative conference winning percentage of two-loss teams, whike their opponents have a .396 winning percentage. Tennessee faces the Vanderbilt Commodores in their final conference game.