This is where the money pinged highest.
Not trying to be a jerk, but UM should have been ranked third.
Cincy won't bring the money to a NCG like any of the other three, and.... Both UGA load literal charter flights and travel.
The committee got what it sought in the beginning- the most financially advantageous match. They fed cincy to bama, and then would settle for either UGA or UM as their opponent. They'd never let the giants (read: $$$) play back to back and miss a chance on likely doubling the take.
An aside is I'm thinking this season may be the last for SEC teams as a NCG lock. The same thing happened before- it always does in the cycle...
Nebraska embarrassed both UF and UT in the nineties. Fans of either were certain they were good enough to compete just like UM was... they were wrong. However, ol Osborne is the root cause by my reckoning for the SEC explosion... the top of the SEC started locking up the perimeter on D disallowing the sweeps and option play that destroyed them when facing Nebraska. That triggered cascade across the SEC with imaginative Ds folks weren't wholly familiar with... the Joe Lee Dunn's of MSU (a 46), the RC Slocum 44 wrecking crew slipping into regular use... 43's bringing a TE proportioned DE while placing damn near LB size safeties with speed of regular safeties.. they ran on D until freakin Meyer showed up with spread options others tried to replicate. HUNH was a thorn as the components of Ds was specific- Satan complained and then joined in the forray himself... its shifting again, now, but I'm thinking it won't be focused on one conference for long, well, unless that conference tries to snatch possible contenders from others..... huh...
The two declining conferences are the PAC and the Big12... the ACC is sliding slower. The movement to HUNH is an equalizer and it'll be curious to see what rules are changed and whether it is to support it or cripple it- I see it as the triple option of this era and equalizer- all 11 D players should be capable to defend every inch of the field- whether power consolidated between tackles or deep post or flag routes breaking on the seam... it makes a roster of 30 talented players equal a roster of 90 3 4 and 5 stars. Small schools can manage that, especially with the portal.
I'll be surprised to see two SEC teams in the playoff next season... I won't be surprised to see at least one in the least.
