top 25.
That’s why this is an important week for the SEC, both for its own self-esteem (yes, a league can have self-esteem) and its national perception.
Going into the postseason, the SEC had five teams in the final College Football Playoff rankings. But only Alabama was in the top 10 — the Tide was No. 2 — and three of the five teams (Florida, LSU and Tennessee) were 19th or higher.
The SEC has 10 teams in bowls, and each of those hits the field in the next six days. SEC bowl games begin Tuesday, when LSU meets Texas Tech in the Texas Bowl.