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We could go farther and create a current event analogy to explain the possibility of being better off in Charlotte in a few weeks or better off in Atlanta for the SEC. Say you have two possible choices and you have to pick one and only one. #1- you’ve contracted a terrible case of Covid-19 for sure. #2- you have recently been around someone with a terrible case of Covid-19 and you are awaiting test results because of the exposure. Would anybody choose #1? Absolutely not!
@E_Roc if you view the goal as getting into the playoffs, then you increase that opportunity by beating Clemson. Now you might not view that as the goal but to win a NC you have to be in the field. The playoffs are still a possibility even losing in the SECCG with a win over Clemson. A one loss UGA might be one of the 4 best team. It would come down to a PAC12 team. This would also be true for an undefeated West team, who lost in the SECCG.
You are of course correct in noting a lot things (unknowns) will occur over the 15 week season. You might consider it to be pessimistic that a loss to Clemson will make it more difficult to reach the playoffs. I do believe it will make it more difficult.
As an example, UGA could lose to UF but still win the East because I do not think UF will beat LSU and Bama. With a win over Clemson and winning the SECCG the dawgs are in the playoffs.
I would also present to you losing to Clemson will also make it more difficult to win the SEC. l say this for no other reason than to reflect how so many dawg fans believe a team such as OSU or Clemson have such an easy path to the playoffs and really play no one. How the SEC is a must more difficult conference (which I believe to be true)
So if the fans truly believe this is a national championship year, then beating Clemson is a given. Equally if you can not beat Clemson then it is reasonable to believe this is not the year.
I don’t really agree. Yes we could possibly lose the SEC and make the playoff with one loss theoretically. So that puts west SEC in playoff. What about Ohio State, Oklahoma, Clemson, and notre dame. If not even considering the PAC 12, it’s still not likely if we lose the SEC. On the other hand if we lose to Clemson and then win out we are in for sure. If we want to make the playoff SEC CG is the key. Win that we are in. Beating Clemson would be great but if we do and then lose the SEC we probably won’t make it to playoff. It would take unusual circumstances. Possible, Bama did it in 2017, but not likely. There isn’t enough spots. Only 4, so how could we be number four? Big ten team, SEC Champ, Clemson, Oklahoma, PAC 12 champ ?,Notre dame. Where would we fit in?
I would love to hear other peoples opinions on this subject. Maybe I’m forgetting something, but I think SEC CG is the key for sure.
@Joe31 You can safely assume that OSU, OU and the winner of the SEC will make the playoffs. Norte Dame will take a step back this year. They made the playoffs last year because of their win over Clemson and aTm bad loss to Bama. Every other possible contender had two losses.
Of course, if UGA wins the SEC with their only loss that being to Clemson, they are in the playoffs. This would also mean Clemson is also in. The four teams would be OU, OSU, Clemson, and UGA. In all probability OU would be ranked as 1, OSU and Clemson as 2 and/or 3, and UGA as 4. Think of this as a made for tv ranking. OSU vs Clemson and OU vs UGA.
Should UGA beat Clemson and even if they win the ACC, Clemson will have lost to the only ranked team they will play prior to their championship game. Clemson has no where to go to get a quality win.
Should UGA at 12-0 not have a bad loss in the SECCG, I very much could see the dawgs in the playoffs. I do not think Clemson would be selected over UGA, a team which they have already beaten. The Big10 will beat itself up. So the question becomes where does the committee go to get the fourth team?
So yes I do think a 12-1 UGA makes the playoffs without winning the SECCG.
The East is extremely weak. The only games that will be truly challenging will be UF and KY. It is quite possible UGA would enter the SECCG 11-1, with the one loss being to Clemson. They will also face a West champion who is also probably 11-1. Only the winner of the SECCG will make the playoffs. However it is still possible a 12-1 and a second 12-1 SEC team both make the playoffs.
Now where I seem to differ from you and E_roc is I think it will be easier to beat Clemson than it will be to reach the SECCG undefeated in conference play and then beat the West divisional champion. Historically this is very difficult to do. I say this because while I think the Dawgs are going to be very good l have serious reservations about if they are going to be as good as LSU or Bama were especially starting the year with a loss to Clemson.
To put this another way, you think it is going to be easier to beat Bama than it will be to beat Clemson. I don’t really agree with that line of thinking.
You're mostly responding to an argument that I never made. I'm not disputing, because I have no reason to, that beating Clemson puts us in a better positing than losing to them. I thought it was pretty clear that my comments were in response to your saying "I find it hard to believe if Kirby cannot beat Clemson he is going to beat the West divisional champion."
When you do get to that point in your latest post, I still don't really see much of an argument in defense of your position. I never disputed that winning the SEC is generally more difficult than winning the ACC or Big 10. That never had anything to do with my responses, as it doesn't seem to have anything to do with this idea that a result against Clemson will in all likelihood inform the result against the SECW winner 12 games later. I still don't see that you've made any clear case to that effect.
What if we lose to Clemson on a failed two- point conversion in the third overtime? I know it's a hypothetical, but the fact that you're doubling down on this assertion without any consideration for whether or not we even are competitive in the game suggests that you don't find it relevant to your assessment of how you expect the team to be performing 3 months later - which I find unreasonable. And that's just one of any number of factors that you seem to be completely ignoring.
@stone, If those scenarios you explain do come to fruition, I hope your right. I just don’t think a one loss GA that doesn’t win SEC gets in ahead of a one loss conference champ for many reasons. Selection committee generally likes parody in the playoff, GA strength of schedule is not strong other than Clemson, It is the very first game of the season (it might not count for as much as we hope), and there are too many other potential 1 loss conference champs. I agree that Notre Dame might not be a threat, they won’t be a conference champ, but they have the strength of schedule to potentially get in if they win. The SEC champ is in, highly likely a big ten team, highly likely a one loss Clemson (especially if loss is to GA) and they win the ACC. A one loss Oklahoma Big 12 champ is likely in. And even if that doesn’t happen there is still the PAC 12. A one loss PAC 12 will have a good chance also (they will lobby very hard for it). Also just the fact that in any of these situations the committee will spread the wealth if they can possibly justify it. Example- Ga might be better than a one loss Oklahoma, one loss Clemson, one loss Notre Dame, and a one loss Oregon, but if the lose the SEC I just feel that the hopes for them getting in the playoffs is out of their hands. These other schools will have lose 2 for us to get the spot. It’s interesting to debate though, one of the reasons I love College Football so much! You might be right that Clemson is an easier win than SEC CG, I just think with one loss we will need the SEC. if not it’s up to other teams do, GA wouldn’t control its own destiny.
I gotta agree, of course we’re in better position if we beat Clemson, but win or lose, that game has no impact on the SEC CG. And like like stated before hopefully we are better off on the injury front later in the season.
Lol here comes my tech savvy showing again. I was trying to Agree with E ROC but instead agreed with my own comment. Oh well anyway good point E ROC
Quite the spirited discussion, my friends! No doubt a reflection of how stoked we all are about the start of this season. With a big bang, no less, against another very good Clemson team. And of course we can't sleep on any SEC opponent. Go Dawgs!