For that, the conference can thank the 12-team College Football Playoff. Without it, this would be a much different season for the league. Were the four-team CFP still in effect this year, the SEC would likely be one Texas loss from missing the Playoff for the first time in the event’s 11-year history.

Manuel acknowledged Georgia’s beatdown of Texas — maybe the best road win by any school this season — but called the Longhorns “a very strong team” deserving of their top-three seed. He cited their top five defense and credited Quinn Ewers for leading “one of the top passing offenses in the country.”