SEC BOWL TIE-INS The bowl-matching system functions through a process not altogether different from sorority rush. Each bowl-eligible school will present three options it would be in favor of to the Southeastern Conference in the coming days. The bowl games, too, will have their own preference of squads. From there, the SEC works as the conduit to match bowl games and teams.
The league has tie-ins with 10 schools for its 13 bowl-eligible teams in 2021. That 13 figure — every team except Vanderbilt is an SEC record. The Sugar Bowl will get its pick of the litter presumably a 10-2 Ole Miss team or Alabama, should it not make the College Football Playoff. The Citrus Bowl has the next pick of SEC teams, which would likely fall on Kentucky (9-3).
Next comes the mishmash of squads that could go just about anywhere. The Liberty Bowl, Duke’s Mayo Bowl, Texas Bowl, Outback Bowl, Gator Bowl and Music City Bowl are all options for the middle rung of SEC teams that includes Texas A&M (8-4), Arkansas (8-4), Tennessee (7-5) and Mississippi State (7-5). Where things get tricky are with the SEC’s five teams that all reside at 6-6.
South Carolina falls in this category with Missouri, Auburn, LSU and Florida. A win over Clemson would’ve elevated the Gamecocks above this logjam, but now USC sits smack dab in the middle of it. In theory, that leaves three games one of the aforementioned middle-rung games, the Gasparilla Bowl and the Birmingham Bowl to be filled by five teams.
SOUTH CAROLINA BOWL PROJECTIONS Gamecocks would likely slot behind bigger brands like LSU, Auburn and Florida, while geographical preferences could see Missouri land in, say, the Liberty Bowl in Memphis ahead of the Gamecocks. The most recent bowl season predictors indicated the Gamecocks could be headed for the Gasparilla Bowl in Tampa, or to the Birmingham Bowl. The Duke’s Mayo Bowl in Charlotte could also be an option given the short trek from Columbia. CBS Sports’ Jerry Palm on Sunday projected the Gamecocks to face Virginia in the Dec. 30 Duke’s Mayo Bowl a rematch of their 2018 game. 247Sports’ Brad Crawford predicts USC will face UAB in the Dec. 28 Birmingham Bowl.
The league has tie-ins with 10 schools for its 13 bowl-eligible teams in 2021. That 13 figure — every team except Vanderbilt is an SEC record. The Sugar Bowl will get its pick of the litter presumably a 10-2 Ole Miss team or Alabama, should it not make the College Football Playoff. The Citrus Bowl has the next pick of SEC teams, which would likely fall on Kentucky (9-3).
Next comes the mishmash of squads that could go just about anywhere. The Liberty Bowl, Duke’s Mayo Bowl, Texas Bowl, Outback Bowl, Gator Bowl and Music City Bowl are all options for the middle rung of SEC teams that includes Texas A&M (8-4), Arkansas (8-4), Tennessee (7-5) and Mississippi State (7-5). Where things get tricky are with the SEC’s five teams that all reside at 6-6.
South Carolina falls in this category with Missouri, Auburn, LSU and Florida. A win over Clemson would’ve elevated the Gamecocks above this logjam, but now USC sits smack dab in the middle of it. In theory, that leaves three games one of the aforementioned middle-rung games, the Gasparilla Bowl and the Birmingham Bowl to be filled by five teams.
SOUTH CAROLINA BOWL PROJECTIONS Gamecocks would likely slot behind bigger brands like LSU, Auburn and Florida, while geographical preferences could see Missouri land in, say, the Liberty Bowl in Memphis ahead of the Gamecocks. The most recent bowl season predictors indicated the Gamecocks could be headed for the Gasparilla Bowl in Tampa, or to the Birmingham Bowl. The Duke’s Mayo Bowl in Charlotte could also be an option given the short trek from Columbia. CBS Sports’ Jerry Palm on Sunday projected the Gamecocks to face Virginia in the Dec. 30 Duke’s Mayo Bowl a rematch of their 2018 game. 247Sports’ Brad Crawford predicts USC will face UAB in the Dec. 28 Birmingham Bowl.
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