We've seen this scene before in the Allstate Sugar Bowl. A Big 12 champion comes in riding high against an SEC team that is disappointed that it's not in the title hunt. It's the classic "didn't want to be there" scenario.
The SEC has had a team in nine of the past 10 Sugar Bowls that weren't a part of the BCS or the College Football Playoff, and those teams are 3-6: Florida beat Cincinnati in 2010; Ole Miss beat Oklahoma State in 2016; and Georgia beat Baylor in 2020.
Two of the biggest upsets in recent years fit the bill, however, of high-profile SEC teams that seemed focused on a national title or bust.