State of the SEC? Pretty Good According to Greg Sankey: All Things CW

The SEC commissioner thinks the league should always have 3-4 teams in the running for the 12-team playoff, said the conference championship game isn't going anywhere, and commented on Auburn hiring Hugh Freeze.

The All Things CW notes column by Christopher Walsh will appear in five parts this week, one each day. This is ...

Take 5

How strong is the Southeastern Conference before adding Oklahoma and Texas, and while dealing with the changing landscape of collegiate athletics? 

Commissioner Greg Sankey was happy to tell everyone during a press conference Thursday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, the site of Saturday's football championship between LSU and Georgia.

"Eleven of our 14 members at some point ranked in the top 25 this year," he said. "Eight different schools have made appearances in the top 10. As a league we won 10 non-conference games against opponents from autonomy five conferences. That's more than any or conference. 

"You start to overlay some of these statistics, you see the difficulty of winning in the league on a week-to-week basis. That's obviously altered the record of some of our teams who I think are very much among the top 25. 

"We are the only conference with four non-conference victories against opponents currently ranked in the top 25 and have 11 teams that are bowl eligible under NCAA rules."

He also pointed out that seven of the top 10 televised games this season included an SEC team, and joked that the SEC won't settled for anything less than having seven teams in the new 12-team playoff. 

A little more realistic is for the conference to have three, if not four, teams "in the mix" on an annual basis.

Also of note:

• The commissioner made it clear that that the conference championship game isn't going away even with the expanded playoff. "For us, we've established something here in Atlanta that's very special. There still is a need to determine a conference champion just as we do in every other sport."

• The league is focussed on having a single-division model matching the top two teams in our conference championship game. "The reality is we've looked at 40-plus different scheduling models."

• Sankey noted that only one time since 2006 has the winner of the SEC Championship Game failed to advance to the national championship game.

• On Auburn hiring Hugh Freeze the same week two Big Ten schools landed Luke Fickell (Wisconsin) and Matt Rhule (Nebraska): "I look from this point forward; we're informed by people's pasts. Hugh and I actually had an individual phone call earlier today, very positive. That's not the first phone call he and I've had in the last five years. I appreciated the way he responded during his press conference, and I respect the fact that he and I, over the succeeding years since his departure from Ole Miss, could have candid and honest conversation."

He also gave the Alabama soccer team a quick shout out as the Crimson Tide participates in the College Cup this weekend. 

Gary Danielson Thinks Alabama Still has a Shot

CBS analyst Gary Danielson offered this about the CFP rankings heading into championship weekend:

"If I was on the committee, I would be in that room talking about how close USC is to TCU and how close Alabama is to Ohio State. For example, if USC beats Utah could you make the argument that they deserve the third spot? Even if TCU goes undefeated, how do you measure the strength of what USC has done these last three games and winning the way they had played in that conference where they play everybody in the Pac 12 versus TCU and who actually deserves what spot is interesting.

"The next one is just how did they decide whether Ohio State or Alabama deserves the fifth spot. Obviously, it’s an important choice. I have to admit that if I had been in the room, I would’ve called it a tie. One team lost one game by a lot, at home, with everything riding on it including revenge. The other team lost two games on the road in close ones. I think it’s almost an eyeball test and those two teams to me are almost in a dead heat. And with two upsets, I very much think that Alabama is alive. I think that they could bypass a one-loss TCU team."

Draft Updates 

• The latest big board rankings from The NFL Draft Bible have Will Anderson Jr. first overall, and Bryce Young third. Safety Brian Branch is No. 22, one spot ahead of running back Jahmyr Gibbs. Cornerback Eli Ricks is the only other person in the top 50 at No. 47, with safety Jordan Battle and linebacker Henry To'oTo'o just missing. Tackle Tyler Steen cracked the top 100 at No. 99. 

• Some additional position rankings:

WR: 14. Jermaine Burton; 18. Tyler Harrell
TE: 9. Cameron Latu
G: 7. Javion Cohen; 14. Emil Ekiyor Jr.
C: 13. Seth McLaughlin; 17. Darrian Dalcourt
DT: 20. Justin Eboigbe; 23. DJ Dale; 47. Tim Smith
ILB: 42. Jaylen Moody
S: 7. Malachi Moore

• Basketball forward Brandon Miller has quickly inserted his name in the upper ranks of the NBA Draft. Draft Digest said of his rising status: "It’s early, but Miller is beginning to separate himself into the elite category" among a strong class for forwards. Miller will be 21-years-old on draft night 2023, making him one of the oldest players from the 2022 high school class.

Tide-Bits

• Riley Mattingly Parker and Reyna Reyes were both on the list of 15 semifinalists for the 2022 MAC Hermann Trophy, the Heisman Trophy for women's soccer. Parker gets a lot of well-deserved attention, but Reyes playing more of a defensive roll has been absolutely huge for the Crimson Tide this season. Three women's finalists will be named for the award on Wednesday. 

• Looking for the next Crimson Tide team on the rise? Keep an eye on volleyball. Alabama officials are absolutely convinced they hired the right person to head the program with Rashinda Reed, and just in time as well. There are seven SEC teams in this year's NCAA Tournament, and Texas, soon to join the league, is the top-overall seed. 

• Former Alabama coach Mike Dubose announced his retirement Thursday. At Opp High School his teams had a 17-6 regular-season record, 1-2 in the  state playoffs.

Did You Notice?

Dolphins’ Mike McDaniel Trolls Tua Tagovailoa About High School Highlights

Auburn’s Hiring of Hugh Freeze Brings Coach’s Past Red Flags Back Into the Spotlight

The Coaching Carousel Is Taking a Big November Toll

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See Also:

Take 1: Impact of Epic Weekend For Alabama Could be Felt for Years

Take 2: Alabama's CFP Chances Boil Down to One Thing

Take 3: Don't Expect the Same Alabama Team When it Next Plays

Take 4: A 12-Team Playoff Comes With One Big Concern For Nick Saban

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