Why Tennessee football could benefit from not playing in SEC championship game | Adams

When the SEC added South Carolina and Arkansas to the conference in 1992, the conversation at the spring meetings was two-fold.

Not only was the league introducing its new members. It also was touting the first SEC championship football game, which would be played later in the year.

Expansion again will be a hot topic at next week’s spring meetings. Texas and Oklahoma finally are officially card-carrying members. Also, the championship football game has been tweaked. Since the league has dropped divisional play, the top two teams overall will play for the title.

But how much does anybody care?

Qualifying for the playoffs now exceeds all other measuring sticks for success in college football. Making the playoffs overshadows making the conference championship game.

Once you qualify for the playoffs, you have a path to a national championship. So what if you don’t win your Power 4 conference. If you make the playoffs as an at-large team, you still could win the national championship.

That’s just another reminder how college football has moved ever closer to the NFL model. If you win a Super Bowl, does anyone remember if you failed to win your conference or division? Of course not.

Tennessee hasn’t qualified for the SEC championship game since 2007. But if it falls short again this season, its fans shouldn’t be gnashing their teeth.

Conference playoff games will no longer have the same significance.

The SEC championship game has served as a terrific showcase for the conference. And the outcome often catapulted the winner to a national championship.

For example, take the first conference championship game in 1992. Unbeaten Alabama barely held off Steve Spurrier’s Florida Gators and later beat the Miami Hurricanes for the national title.

Two other Florida-Alabama matchups also rank among the most memorable SEC championship games.

Tim Tebow led the Gators to a narrow victory over the Tide for the 2008 SEC championship. Florida went on to defeat Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl for its second national championship in three seasons.

Alabama rebounded to upend Florida in the 2009 game. That game put Florida coach Urban Meyer in the hospital and led to Alabama’s first of six national titles under coach Nick Saban.

But even a four-team playoff lessened the impact of the conference championship game. In 2017, Auburn beat Alabama to win the SEC West but lost to Georgia in the SEC championship game.

Sitting out the SEC game worked to Alabama’s advantage, though. It qualified for the playoff and beat Georgia in overtime to win the national championship game.

Missing out on the conference championship game could prove even more beneficial in a 12-team playoff. With 12 teams in the playoff, I can’t imagine having fewer than four teams from the SEC. And five isn’t out of the question.

So, how bad would it be to finish third in the SEC? Sure, that could cost you a bye in the College Football Playoff. Nonetheless, it also would enable you to avoid butting helmets with one of the best teams in the country in the SEC championship game. That's the equivalent of a bye.

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Tennessee last won the SEC championship in 1998. That was quite an accomplishment. However, it didn’t compare to what came next – a victory over Florida State in the national championship game.

Making the SEC championship game this season would constitute progress for Tennessee. But making the College Football Playoff would be a bigger deal.

John Adams is a senior columnist. He may be reached at 865-342-6284 or john.adams@konxnews.com. Follow him at: twitter.com/johnadamskns.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Why Tennessee football could benefit from finishing third in SEC