Georgia football can officially send their thanks 180 miles southwest to Auburn. After weeks of skepticism that the Bulldogs would secure a College Football Playoff appearance, they’re now one step closer thanks to the Tigers.
Auburn took Texas A&M to four overtimes before finally topping the Aggies in the thrilling 43-41 victory. The Tigers did more than hand the No. 15 Aggies their third loss. Auburn’s upset officially puts the Bulldogs in the Southeastern Conference title game, as confirmed by the SEC’s X (formerly known as Twitter) account.
While Jordan-Hare Stadium resonated in reverberating cheers from Auburn fans, the Tigers likely heard the Bulldogs roaring loud too.
Georgia can now focus on next Saturday’s game against rival Georgia Tech without worrying about how to get to the SEC championship. It’s quite the change from the thought process of two weeks ago.
Ole Miss rolled into Oxford and smacked the Bulldogs 28-10 back on Nov. 9. That Rebels win set off the panic among Georgia fans that the Bulldogs were in danger of missing the title game — let alone a spot in the new 12-team playoffs. Georgia since rebuilt itself with a top 10 victory over Tennessee, then a 59-21 trouncing of Massachusetts Saturday.
Who will Georgia face for SEC title after Auburn’s upset?
Texas A&M may have taken loss No. 3. However, the Aggies aren’t out just yet.
College football insider for The Action Network Brett McMurphy revealed who could face the Bulldogs during the weekend of Dec. 7. Turns out the Aggies are still in the fold. But so is the other Lone Star State representative.
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Yes indeed, the Longhorns could be in for a revenge rematch with Georgia. It was the Bulldogs who stunned the previous top-ranked ‘Horns back Oct. 19. Texas starting quarterback Quinn Ewers was noticeably benched in favor of Arch Manning down in Austin that night. Georgia QB Carson Beck struggled that night with three interceptions, but still led the 30-15 win.
Texas, though, still holds the best overall record among the new 16-team SEC league at 10-1. The Longhorns will also enter their rivalry game with the Aggies holding a 6-1 mark in conference games.
The SEC title game no longer honors the divisional format that decided past matchups. The power conference can now choose the highest ranked teams to square off against one another. But if Texas advances, the Longhorns will be playing for the program’s first-ever SEC title in just their first season in the conference.
Texas A&M, though, can potentially end a 15-season conference title drought for football. The Aggies last won one in 2010, but that was during a time they competed in the Big 12 Conference. Texas A&M is also pursuing its first SEC title game appearance. The school officially jumped from the Big 12 to the SEC in July 2012.