SEC in great shape for national title shot

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The Southeastern Conference has seen its top-10 stock drop from five to three teams. And the Big 12 has replaced it in the national spotlight.But the SEC still has its goals intact as the college football season heads into its final month. It can qualify a team for the national championship game, put two teams in BCS bowls and fulfill all of its bowl opportunities.Alabama is unbeaten and ranked second nationally, and the winner of Saturday's Florida-Georgia game also might have a shot at the national championship. And none of the SEC's 12 teams has been mathematically eliminated from bowl contention.Qualifying for the national championship game in Miami obviously will be more difficult than putting nine teams in bowls. At least, Alabama doesn't have to concern itself with what anyone else does.Unbeaten Penn State gained more credibility with its victory over Ohio State on Saturday night. But if Texas and Alabama win out, you couldn't possibly justify ranking the Nittany Lions ahead of them.Never mind all the sentiment for coach Joe Paterno. Even if he were 100 years old, there wouldn't be sufficient sentiment to put Penn State ahead of unbeaten Texas or Alabama. Sentiment couldn't overcome strength of schedule.Penn State doesn't have another top-10 opponent on its schedule. And it can't beat Iowa, Indiana and Michigan State badly enough to surpass Texas or Alabama if those teams also are unbeaten.Texas will play unbeaten Texas Tech on Saturday and likely would play another nationally ranked team in the Big 12 championship game. Alabama must play 15th-ranked LSU and could play a top-five Florida or Georgia in the SEC championship game.In fact, you could argue that a one-loss Georgia or Florida team would be more deserving of a berth in the national championship game than an unbeaten Penn State team would.Penn State appears to have a complete team, but you can't ignore the Big Ten's performance in the last two national championship games. It's guilt by association.Two years ago, an unbeaten Ohio State team was beaten handily in the national championship game by a one-loss Florida team. Last year, a one-loss Ohio State team was beaten decisively in the national championship game by a two-loss LSU team.Forget last year. Look at this year's schedule.Aside from its victory over Ohio State, Penn State hasn't beaten another team that is ranked in the top 25. And it has beaten only one other team, Oregon State (5-3), with a winning record.Contrast that with Florida and Georgia, each of whom has a chance to make a powerful impression in the last month of the season. If one of them wins out, no other one-loss team would have accomplished more.Florida already has beaten 15th ranked LSU by 30 points and could add victories over top-10 Georgia and Alabama. If Florida State (6-1) keeps winning, the Gators would have an opportunity to beat another nationally ranked team.Georgia also has a victory over LSU, and a chance to beat Florida and win a rematch against Alabama.A one-loss SEC team might not have to beat out Penn State to reach the national championship game. Suppose Texas finished the regular season unbeaten but lost in the Big 12 championship game, which has a history of big upsets.Twice in the last five years, a No. 1-ranked team has lost by three touchdowns or more in the Big 12 championship game. Second- and third-ranked teams also have been upset in the Big 12 championship game.Alabama doesn't have to worry about that. It just has to take care of business.If it does, the SEC will put a team in the national championship game for the third consecutive year.(Contact John Adams at adamsj@knoxnews.com.(John Adams is sports editor of The Knoxville News Sentinel in Tennessee.)