Our final SEC football predictions (who's making the playoff?)
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With Week 0 nearly upon us, it's time to lock in our final College Football Playoff predictions for the SEC.
We expect four SEC teams to make the playoff, but which four?
That's the conversation on this edition of "SEC Football Unfiltered," a podcast from the USA TODAY Network, as hosts Blake Toppmeyer and John Adams log some final predictions before the season kicks off.
Toppmeyer and Adams agree on three SEC teams that'll make the playoff. They disagree on the fourth.
They also disagree on which team will win the SEC Championship.
Which SEC teams will make the College Football Playoff?
Adams: Texas, Georgia, LSU and Texas A&M.
Why those four teams? Simply put, I view this quartet as the SEC's best teams. I put Texas and Georgia in the SEC's Tier 1, and LSU and Texas A&M form Tier 2. After that, it gets crowded in Tier 3 with Mississippi, Oklahoma, Alabama and Tennessee.
Could schedule draw be a factor? Absolutely, but I'm trying to not over-complicate this. Despite schedule differentiation, the SEC's best teams have the best chance of making the playoff.
Toppmeyer: I've considered the possibility the SEC will repeat last year's bid haul of five qualifiers, but I expect Notre Dame to make the playoff after missing it last year. The Irish in the bracket would narrow the avenue for the SEC to qualify five.
So, I'll take four qualifiers: Georgia, Texas, LSU and Alabama. First-team out from the SEC: Texas A&M.
With Georgia's talent, plus it's favorable schedule, the Bulldogs seem like a playoff lock. Texas' schedule is loaded, but so is its roster. Lane Kiffin assembled one of his best portal hauls ever, positioning LSU for playoff pursuits in Year 1.
Alabama faces as many or more questions as Texas A&M. Why the Tide over the Aggies? I like Alabama's schedule better. Alabama gets two of its toughest opponents (Georgia and Texas A&M) at home. Texas A&M will host Texas, but it also will face brutal road tests at LSU, Alabama and Oklahoma. That's a tough path to 10-2.
If the Texas A&M-Alabama game was at Kyle Field, I'd pick the Aggies to the playoff. With the game at Bryant-Denny Stadium (where Alabama is 13-1 under Kalen DeBoer), I'll take Alabama as my fourth qualifier from the SEC.
Who will win the SEC Championship?
Adams: Texas.
Again, I'm sticking with my strategy of not over-complicating this and picking the best team. Considering Texas' upgrades at the skill positions, the Longhorns profile as the SEC's top team. If only Gunner Stockton had Arch Manning's wide receivers. If only …
Toppmeyer: Georgia.
Georgia's schedule is one of the most accommodating in the conference. It's tailor-made for entry to the SEC Championship game. Will Texas reach Atlanta? Maybe, maybe not. Again, consider the schedule.
Anyway, with Nick Saban retired, I trust Kirby Smart inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium more than any of his SEC peers.
Which SEC player has the best chance of winning the Heisman Trophy?
Adams: I wouldn't expect the Heisman winner to come from the SEC. But, if you're telling me someone from the SEC will win the Heisman, I'm telling you it'll be Arch Manning. Still, if I could pick any SEC quarterback right now as my QB1, I'd pick Trinidad Chambliss.
Toppmeyer: Ditto. Give me a Big Ten player or Notre Dame's CJ Carr to win the Heisman. However, if an SEC player wins it, that probably means Arch and Texas had monster seasons. I also agree with Adams, though, that if I could pick a starting quarterback for my team right now, I'd take Chambliss. In fact, I voted Chambliss as the quarterback on my preseason All-America ballot for USA TODAY.
Also in this episode
∎ A few SEC teams have made their starting quarterback decisions. Toppmeyer and Adams weigh in on the quarterback decisions at Tennessee and Alabama.
Podcast news: College Football Unfiltered launches!
This will be the final episode of "SEC Football Unfiltered." Toppmeyer is transitioning to hosting USA TODAY Sports' "College Football Unfiltered" podcast, presented by Sports Seriously.
Find "College Football Unfiltered" episodes here:
∎ YouTube
∎ Apple
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Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network's senior national college football columnist. John Adams is the senior sports columnist for the Knoxville News Sentinel. Subscribe to the SEC Football Unfiltered podcast, and check out the SEC Unfiltered newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Our final SEC football predictions (who's making the playoff?)
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