SEC Bowl Projections After Week 7

Alabama and Texas A&M remain the only bowl eligible teams through seven weeks of the season and with Florida and Tennessee on bye weeks this week, the only SEC team that can punch their bowl ticket this upcoming weekend is Arkansas.

With Vanderbilt winning at Georgia last week, no SEC teams can hit seven losses until November 5 when Missouri and South Carolina could be facing off in a bowl game eliminator--more likely for Missouri as the Gamecocks have an easier route to a win between now and then with UMass visiting the eastern Columbia this weekend.

So let's get started with the projections...

Playoff

Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

This season, the Peach and Fiesta Bowls are the semi-final hosts with Raymond James Stadium in Tampa hosting the Championship Game. After Alabama’s demolition, there was consolidation amongst our ranks that the Tide look to be headed to the Playoff, most likely the Peach Bowl.

Chris Novak	Alabama
Alex Dusza	Alabama
Cam Newton	Alabama
Will Marshall	Alabama
Niesha Middlebrooks	Alabama
Jonathan Waldrop	Alabama
Tom Stephenson	Alabama

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Sugar, Orange and Cotton Bowls

Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports

After any teams chosen for the College Football Playoff, the next highest ranked team in the playoff standings goes to the Sugar Bowl.

An SEC team can go to the Orange or Cotton Bowl(s), but there are no guaranteed SEC spots for these bowls. The next highest ranked SEC or Big Ten team after the Playoff, Sugar Bowl and Rose Bowl have their picks of SEC and Big Ten teams goes to the Orange Bowl. With Nebraska meeting one of their tougher tests left on the schedule this past weekend at Indiana, it looks to me like either the loser of the Michigan/Ohio State game or Nebraska could fill the Rose Bowl and Orange Bowl slot leaving the SEC on the outside of that placement and most of our contributors agreed with that sentiment.

Likewise, an SEC team can go to the Cotton Bowl, but as an at-large bid based on the playoff rankings.

	Sugar	Orange	Cotton
Chris Novak	Texas A&M
Alex Dusza	Texas A&M
Cam Newton	Texas A&M
Will Marshall	Texas A&M
Niesha Middlebrooks	Texas A&M
Jonathan Waldrop	Texas A&M		LSU
Tom Stephenson	Texas A&M

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Citrus Bowl

Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Last week, we were split between having Ole Miss or Tennessee in the Citrus Bowl. With both teams taking losses last week, the Rebels got solidly bumped down into the Group of Six bowls while the Volunteers were bumped out of an access bowl slot for a date in Orlando.

Chris Novak	Tennessee
Alex Dusza	Tennessee
Cam Newton	Tennessee
Will Marshall	Tennessee
Niesha Middlebrooks	Tennessee
Jonathan Waldrop	Tennessee
Tom Stephenson	Tennessee

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Group of Six Bowls

Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports

There was also some consolidation amongst the TSK staff in regards to placement in the Group of Six games, but these really could be anyone’s guess as to how the bowls, schools and conference agree to pair up.

	Belk	Liberty	Music City	Outback	TaxSlayer (Gator)	Texas
Chris Novak	Georgia	Auburn	Arkansas	Florida	LSU	Ole Miss
Alex Dusza	Georgia	Auburn	Arkansas	Florida	LSU	Ole Miss
Cam Newton	Georgia	Ole Miss	Auburn	Florida	LSU	Arkansas
Will Marshall	Florida	Arkansas	Auburn	Ole Miss	LSU	Mizzou
Niesha Middlebrooks	Georgia	Auburn	Arkansas	Florida	LSU	Ole Miss
Jonathan Waldrop	Georgia	Arkansas	Auburn	Florida	Ole Miss	Mizzou
Tom Stephenson	Georgia	Ole Miss	Arkansas	Florida	LSU	Auburn

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Birmingham and Independence Bowls

Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports

Rounding out our bowl projections are the Birmingham and Independence Bowls with the chance to go to Shreveport to win this overly large trophy. Mississippi State and Kentucky face off this weekend, and both have a route to bowl eligibility even with a loss this weekend. Both will, however, face an uphill battle with a loss this weekend, so look for some shakeup here in next week’s picks.

	Birmingham	Independence
Chris Novak	Kentucky	Mississippi State
Alex Dusza	Kentucky	Mississippi State
Cam Newton	Kentucky	Mississippi State
Will Marshall	Kentucky	Mississippi State
Niesha Middlebrooks	Kentucky	Mississippi State
Jonathan Waldrop		Mississippi State
Tom Stephenson

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So where do you think we’re wrong? Where do you want or see your team going bowling?