The announcement of the 12 original teams for the College Football Playoff (CFP) bracket sparked significant discussion, particularly among fans of the SEC. The conference secured three spots in the prestigious tournament with the inclusion of the No. 2 Georgia Bulldogs, No. 5 Texas Longhorns, and No. 9 Tennessee Volunteers. However, this left out other SEC teams with strong cases for inclusion, such as Alabama, Ole Miss, and South Carolina, all of whom ended the season with three losses. The SEC’s dominance in college football—evidenced by six national championships in the last decade—added weight to the argument that its teams deserved more representation.
Despite the arguments, none of the three-loss SEC teams made it into the CFP, relegating them to participation in traditional bowl games. Among the notable SEC programs, the Oklahoma Sooners, who had previously defeated Alabama 24-3 during the regular season, also missed out on a CFP spot. Instead, they faced the Navy Midshipmen in the Armed Forces Bowl. Unfortunately for Oklahoma, their season ended on a disappointing note as they narrowly lost 21-20. This marked the Sooners’ second losing season in three years, with a 6-7 record mirroring their struggles in 2021.
In the aftermath, social media was abuzz with fans criticizing the notion that SEC teams inherently deserved CFP berths based on their conference affiliation. One fan sarcastically remarked, “Hypothetical games really gonna hurt Alabama when Navy beats Oklahoma. The SEC is now 347,000-1 in hypothetical games.” Another commenter pointed out the perceived overestimation of mid-tier SEC teams, stating, “Incredibly funny that people argued that all these mid-tier SEC teams that beat Bama would be so good in other conferences. Meanwhile, Oklahoma lost to the 3rd place AAC team.”
The critique didn’t end there. A third user highlighted Oklahoma’s inconsistency: “Oklahoma took down Bama just to lose to Navy. You all really wanted an SEC playoff, and it’s showing why we shouldn’t.” These comments underscore the unpredictable nature of college football, where even powerhouse programs can falter against less-heralded opponents.
This scenario serves as a reminder that when two high-caliber Division I football teams face off, the outcome is never guaranteed. While the SEC’s reputation for dominance is well-earned, the events of this season reveal that success is not assured, and each team must prove itself on the field, regardless of conference prestige.
Everyone’s Saying The Same Thing About The SEC After Oklahoma’s Bowl Game Loss
