The only downside of the expanded playoff is fewer SEC teams to cover, but the opportunity to focus on the biggest games of the season is well worth the tradeoff. Five SEC teams (Alabama, Georgia, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, and Texas A&M) earned playoff bids, with four taking the field in last weekend’s opening round.
The SEC was guaranteed a loss when Alabama and Oklahoma met in a playoff rematch Friday night, but Texas A&M’s early exit to Miami at Kyle Field came as a surprise. Meanwhile, Ole Miss tuned up for the Sugar Bowl and a second-round rematch with No. 3 Georgia by dominating another familiar opponent.
Let’s take a closer look at the four SEC teams that played in the opening round of the 12-team playoff and the standout stats that explain why they advanced or were sent home.
No. 8 Oklahoma – 34-24 loss to No. 9 Alabama
Sooners gained 61 total yards in six of their seven second half drives. Oklahoma’s playoff dreams ended in a nightmare after it collapsed in the second quarter to evaporate a 17-0 lead over Alabama. Focusing on the blocked punt and John Mateer’s pick-6 is justifiable, but the Sooners were tied at the half with Alabama despite the mistakes. The real story that underscores why Oklahoma lost the rematch to the Crimson Tide is its offense sputtering in the second half, outside of a 75-yard TD drive. The Sooners’ two missed field goals and punts on four drives were impossible to overcome once Alabama’s offense found its groove in the second half.
No. 9 Alabama – 34-24 win at No. 8 Oklahoma
Alabama scored 27 unanswered points after falling behind 17–0. Perhaps I’m taking the easy route by highlighting Alabama’s 27 unanswered points sparked by Oklahoma miscues late in the first half, but the Crimson Tide’s explosion of points perfectly underscores how much this game flipped in the Tide’s favor. Alabama outscored Oklahoma 34-7 after the Sooners took a 17-0 lead. What’s remarkable is Alabama finished with 260 yards of total offense and was only 2-for-12 on third down. The Tide took advantage of Oklahoma’s mistakes in the same vein as the Sooners capitalized on Alabama’s mistakes in their 23-21 win in Tuscaloosa back in November. Ty Simpson was efficient, throwing two TDs and averaging eight yards per completion.
No. 6 Ole Miss – 41-10 win over No. 11 Tulane
Ole Miss Rebels produced 11 plays of 20+ yards while allowing just one to Tulane. Alabama and Oklahoma’s playoff rematch played out much differently from the regular-season meeting. Ole Miss’ rematch with Tulane played out nearly the same as the first go round, with the Rebels falling only four points shy of matching the score of the regular season meeting. Tulane was able to move the ball in the second half, totaling over 400 yards of offense, but it was unable to sustain drives. That’s a problem when the opposing offense is ripping off big plays one after the other. Outside of getting banged up at the end of the first half, Trinidad Chambliss was nearly perfect for the Rebels. He should play confidently heading into the second round – another rematch – against Georgia.
No. 7 Texas A&M – 10-3 loss to No. 10 Miami
Texas A&M’s quarterback Marcel Reed was sacked seven times and turned the ball over three times. I remember hearing an analyst say that Marcel Reed is the biggest “boom or bust” quarterback in the playoffs. The example from the regular season that best supports the “boom” is Reed’s performance in the second half against South Carolina when the Aggies stormed back to win after trailing 30-3 (3 TDs, 2 INTs). Unfortunately, Reed’s biggest “bust” performance came in the biggest game of the season. Let me clarify that Texas A&M’s loss to Miami in the first round is not all on Reed. Miami’s defensive line played at an elite level. Both defenses played very well. But in a tight, low-scoring game, every mistake is more impactful on the outcome. If Reed had not thrown the game-sealing interception at the Miami five-yard line, perhaps we’re talking about an epic comeback. Or the Aggies still lose in overtime. Reed did not lose the game for Texas A&M, but his turnovers drastically affected the outcome.
By Jake Thigpen (@Jake_Thigpen)
