Scott Dochterman

I'm originally from Burlington, and I'm a 1997 Western Illinois University graduate. I've worked in Burlington, Muscatine, Fort Dodge and [...]
Updated: 16 November 2011 | 1:24 pm in Doc's Office by Scott Dochterman

SEC could snag 3 BCS slots this year


thegazette.com Copyright 2011 SourceMedia Group. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray (11) celebrates after throwing a touchdown pass during the second quarter against Auburn Saturday, Nov. 12, 2011 in Athens, Ga. Murray threw four touchdown passes to surpass Matthew Stafford's school record and the No. 14 Bulldogs romped past the defending national champions 45-7 Saturday to move within one win of clinching the SEC East. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

The powerhouse Southeastern Conference could snag three Bowl Championship Series slots if the the right scenario plays out in early December, BCS Executive Director Bill Hancock confirmed this morning.

Under the title “At-Large Eligibility,” the BCS manual states: “No more than two teams from a conference may be selected, regardless of whether they are automatic qualifiers or at-large selections, unless two non-champions from the same conference are ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in the final BCS Standings.”

Here’s where it gets hypothetical. Say Georgia upsets LSU in the SEC Championship Game on Dec. 3. If LSU and Alabama are ranked 1-2 in the final BCS standings, which are released Dec. 4, both schools would qualify for the BCS title game. Georgia, as the defined SEC champion, would advance to the Sugar Bowl.

“If two non-champions from the same conference are ranked 1 and 2, then that conference would have three teams in BCS games,” Hancock wrote in an e-mail.

That means the SEC would grab two of the BCS’ four at-large spots along with its automatic champion slot. Should Houston, TCU or even Southern Mississippi win their league, rank No. 16 in the final BCS standings and finish ahead of the Big East champion, that leaves just one available at-large spot, worth $6.1 million.

Under that scenario, the Big Ten likely would be relegated to just one BCS slot for the first time since 2004.

Rules of Engagement
  • Be truthful. more
  • Be civil. more
  • Be responsible. more
  • Own your words. more
  • Leave the trolls alone. more
  • Take commercial ads elsewhere. more
  • Know that comments will be moderated. more
  • Or what? more

Comments are closed.




Featured Jobs from corridorcareers.com