Sunday, November 23, 2008

Weekly rankings and bowl projections from around the SEC: Vanderbilt still being given Liberty

From the I-told-you-so department: While the experts have been projecting a Florida-Texas Tech national championship game, we've been sticking with Florida-Oklahoma. With the Raiders' upset of the Sooners last year in Lubbock, there was just no way it was going to happen this year in Norman. That doesn't mean the Sooners are a lock, though. There's a lot of football to be played: The Sooners would have to beat Oklahoma State in Stillwater and then, if they were ahead of Texas in the BCS standings, they'd have to beat Missouri in Kansas City. Meanwhile, Southern Cal is waiting in the wings. I'd love to see a Florida-USC championship, wouldn't you? Or, for old times sake, how about Alabama-USC?

Oh yeah, this is a Vanderbilt blog. If Bama and Florida can get to the Georgia Dome without incurring a loss, then the worse the Commodores can do is the Music City or Liberty bowl. (It'll probably be Vanderbilt's choice, and I think they'd choose Memphis so they could take a trip, see something new and maybe try to sway some recruits in Mississippi, currently home of zero Commodores.) But if Vanderbilt beats Wake Forest on Saturday — and Ole Miss, South Carolina and/or LSU lose — the Commodores could sneak into the Chick-Fil-A Bowl. Don't hold your breath. And if Auburn upsets Alabama, then we could be headed to Shreveport. Hey, I like Cajun food.

A word about this week's bowl projections: We're proceeding as if Oregon will upset Oregon State this week, sending USC to the Rose Bowl to face Penn State and Ohio State to the Fiesta Bowl to face Texas. But you never know.

Anyway, here's your weekly update:

ALABAMA (11-0, 7-0)
Ranking: 1 (AP)/1 (USA Today)
Remaining games: Auburn (home) on Nov. 29, Florida (Georgia Dome) on Nov. 6
Best Bowl: National Championship Game
Worst Bowl: Cotton Bowl
Moral Victory prediction: Sugar Bowl vs. Utah
ESPN's Schlabach: Sugar Bowl vs. Utah
ESPN's Feldman: Sugar Bowl vs. Utah
ESPN's Low: Sugar
SI's Mandel: Sugar vs. Utah

FLORIDA (10-1, 7-1)
Ranking: 2/3
Remaining games: Florida State (away) on Nov. 29, Alabama (Georgia Dome) on Nov. 6
Best Bowl: National Championship Game
Worst Bowl: Capital One Bowl
Moral Victory prediction: National Championship Game vs. Oklahoma
ESPN's Schlabach: National Championship vs. Oklahoma
ESPN's Feldman: National Championship vs. Oklahoma
ESPN's Low: National Championship Game
SI's Mandel: National Championship vs. Oklahoma

GEORGIA (9-2, 6-2)
Ranking: 13/13
Remaining game: Georgia Tech (home) on Nov. 29
Best Bowl: Sugar Bowl
Worst Bowl: Cotton Bowl
Moral Victory prediction: Capital One Bowl vs. Michigan State
ESPN's Schlabach: Capital One vs. Ohio State
ESPN's Feldman: Capital One vs. Ohio State
ESPN's Low: Capital One
SI's Mandel: Capital One vs. Ohio State

OLE MISS (7-4, 4-3)
Ranking: 25/26
Remaining game: Miss State (home) on Nov. 28
Best Bowl: Cotton Bowl
Worst Bowl: Music City or Liberty Bowl
Moral Victory prediction: Cotton Bowl vs. Texas Tech
ESPN's Schlabach: Cotton Bowl vs. Texas Tech
ESPN's Feldman: Cotton Bowl vs. Texas Tech
ESPN's Low: Cotton
SI's Mandel: Cotton vs. Texas Tech

LSU (7-4, 3-4)
Ranking: 29/28
Remaining game: Arkansas (Little Rock) on Nov. 28
Best Bowl: Cotton Bowl
Worst Bowl: Music City or Liberty Bowl
Moral Victory prediction: Chick-Fil-A vs. Florida State
ESPN's Schlabach: Chick-Fil-A vs. Boston College
ESPN's Feldman: Chick-Fil-A vs. Boston College
ESPN's Low: Chick-Fil-A
SI's Mandel: Outback vs. Michigan State

SOUTH CAROLINA (7-4, 4-4)
Ranking: 33/36
Remaining game: Clemson (away) on Nov. 29
Best Bowl: Cotton Bowl
Worst Bowl: Music City or Liberty Bowl
Moral Victory prediction: Outback Bowl vs. Northwestern
ESPN's Schlabach: Outback vs. Michigan State
ESPN's Feldman: Outback vs. Michigan State
ESPN's Low: Outback
SI's Mandel: Chick-Fil-A vs. Florida State

VANDERBILT (6-5, 4-4)
Ranking: NR/NR
Remaining game: Wake Forest (away) on Nov. 29
Best Bowl: Chick-Fil-A Bowl
Worst Bowl: Independence Bowl
Moral Victory prediction: Liberty Bowl vs. Houston
ESPN's Schlabach: Liberty vs Tulsa
ESPN's Feldman: Liberty vs. Tulsa
ESPN's Low: Liberty
SI's Mandel: Music City vs. Virginia Tech

KENTUCKY (6-5, 2-5)
Ranking: NR/NR
Remaining game: Tennessee (home) on Nov. 29
Best Bowl: Chick-Fil-A Bowl
Worst Bowl: Independence Bowl
Moral Victory prediction: Music City Bowl vs. North Carolina
ESPN's Schlabach: Music City Bowl vs. Maryland
ESPN's Feldman: Music City vs. Miami
ESPN's Low: Music City
SI's Mandel: Liberty vs. Houston

AUBURN (5-6, 2-5)
Ranking: NR/NR
Remaining game: Alabama (away) on Nov. 29
Best Bowl: Liberty Bowl or Music City Bowl
Worst Bowl: Independence Bowl
Moral Victory prediction: None
ESPN's Schlabach: None (Last Week)
ESPN's Feldman: None (Last Week)
ESPN's Low: None
SI's Mandel: None

NOT ELIGIBLE:
• TENNESSEE (4-7, 2-5)
• MISS STATE (4-7, 2-5)
• ARKANSAS (4-7, 1-6)

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