SEC Roller Coaster: Week 6

Wow, SEC, welcome to ACC-style football.  This year is shaping up to be a roller coaster.  Overall, this college football season is not as insane as 2007, but the SEC certainly seems to be turning itself upside down.  Just take a look at the 2011 standings, and you'll see that the SEC West is almost inverted of how it was that year.

Unlike the ACC, where there are a few teams yet to win in conference that still have a chance, all of the no-win SEC teams have dug themselves into a multiple loss hole.  That's why I've created the third category of "win first".  Most of the scenarios for those teams are likely to be rendered pointless quickly if they keep up their losing ways.

And CBS, stop using the coaches' poll to make your matchup look better.



East
Controls destiny:
-Missouri (1-0) has a tiebreaker over South Carolina.
-Florida (2-1) has tiebreakers over Kentucky and Tennessee.
-Georgia (2-1) has tiebreakers over Tennessee and Vanderbilt.  Their loss is to South Carolina, who has lost enough games to give Georgia control back.

Needs help:
-Kentucky (2-1) needs a Florida loss.  They own a tiebreaker over Vanderbilt and South Carolina.
-South Carolina (2-3) owns tiebreakers over Georgia and Vanderbilt, but they don't appear to be helping much.  To start with, the Gamecocks need Missouri to lose 3 games, Georgia and Kentucky to each lose 2 games, and Florida to lose an additional game.

Let's start winning first:
-Tennessee (0-2) lost to Georgia and Florida.
-Vanderbilt (0-4) has already lost half of their conference slate.  I don't even think it's possible for every other team to lose enough games to force some sort of tie where Vandy would come out ahead, especially since 4 teams have head-to-head over the Commodores.

West
Controls destiny:
-Auburn (2-0) has tiebreakers over Arkansas and LSU.
-Mississippi State (2-0) owns tiebreakers against LSU and Texas A&M.
-Ole Miss (2-0) owns a tiebreaker over Alabama.

Needs help:
-Texas A&M (2-1) needs two Mississippi State losses, but has a tiebreaker over Arkansas.
-Alabama (1-1) needs 2 Ole Miss losses.

Let's start winning first:
-LSU (0-2) lost to Auburn and Mississippi State.
-Arkansas (0-2) lost to Auburn and Texas A&M.

Race to Charlotte
October 11:
--Georgia at Missouri, Auburn at Mississippi State -- both games will knock someone out of the controlling crowd in their respective division.
--Ole Miss at Texas A&M -- combined with the Auburn/Miss St game, this matchup could shuffle the order of the SEC West
--Alabama at Arkansas -- both teams need a win to stay alive at all.

October 18:
--Missouri at Florida, Texas A&M at Alabama -- more separation games.

Bowl eligible:  none
One win away:  Auburn, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Texas A&M
Two wins away:  Missouri, Georgia, Kentucky, Alabama, LSU
Two losses away from not bowling:  Vanderbilt