COUNTDOWN TO THE FINAL FOUR

(Week 14)

The mayhem has already started. Utah’s ugly loss to Oregon in the Pac 12 title game last night dropped the Utes from contention for the Final Four. That leaves five teams in position to reach the Speedylee Final Four and six to reach the College Football Playoff Committee’s Final Four. So what happens today?

1.     LSU plays #4 Georgia in the SEC title game. Undefeated LSU can likely stand a close loss and still advance to the Final Four. The Tigers are ranked second by the CFPC. They have more high-quality wins than any school in the country and are expected to win today.

2.     Ohio State plays Wisconsin in the Big Can’t Count Conference title game. The undefeated Buckeyes are expected to win but are likely out of the Final Four with a loss.

3.     Clemson plays in the ACC title game today. The undefeated defending national champions do not have a single high-quality win this season but don’t bet against them today. Clemson is matched against three-loss Virginia.

4.     Georgia plays #1 LSU for the SEC title. The Bulldogs probably can’t make the Final Four with a loss today, but a close game against LSU would make a compelling argument for the Bulldogs. The Bulldogs were ranked #1 here for three weeks and could very well force their way into the party.

5.     Oklahoma plays #9 Baylor for the Big Short Dozen Conference title game. A Georgia or Clemson loss probably opens the Final Four door for the Sooners. This might not be true for the Bears, who are ranked #7 by the CFPC. Baylor might need mass hysteria to get a spot at the table.

6.     Utah is out.

Ineligible: Penn State

SPEEDYLEE SAYS: LSU, Ohio State, Clemson and Oklahoma will populate the Final Four.