Could the Deep South's Oldest Rivalry be featured in the SEC title game? It's possible, according to SEC SIDs in their annual poll.
From Charles Hollis of Al.com:
Auburn received three first place votes and three second-place finishes from the seven Western Division football information directors to top its division with 33 points, barely edging Alabama, which received three first-place votes, two second-place votes and one third-place finish for 32 points.
Georgia had an easier path in the East, gathering six first-place votes for 36 points. Missouri was second with one first-place vote, four seconds and one fifth for 28 points.
That seems pretty cut and dry, but wait! Alabama was actually voted No. 1 in the overall poll:
In the overall poll, just to make things interesting, Alabama was voted No. 1. With all 14 football information directors participating, the Crimson Tide received nine first-place votes, three seconds and one third for a total of 164 points.
The "easy translation," according to Hollis, is that Alabama (or Auburn) necessarily wouldn't need to win their own division to make the College Football Playoffs. (See: The 2011 championship game.)
Personally, I think it'd be naive for SEC analysts to count their playoff teams before the season. This ain't the BCS, after all.
