Running through College Football Playoff scenarios with SEC Mike

On Tuesday, ESPN released its College Football Playoff rankings with 7-2 Texas A&M debuting at No. 14. Host of That SEC Podcast, Michael Bratton, joined Friday's edition of TexAgs Live to discuss some hypotheticals as the end of the regular season nears.

Key notes from Michael Bratton interview

• Cousin Shane was the happiest man in the country because of that Texas A&M loss. He has been betting against the Aggies weekly, and he was finally right. He doesn't have to do his 10,000 steps anymore. 
   
• He is on his way to Oklahoma vs. Missouri. Thanks to what Texas A&M did to Missouri and everyone else in the SEC did to Oklahoma that is no longer a marquee game that I wanted to attend.
   
• My thoughts on the Aggies haven't really changed. The final score was a little lopsided, but it was a little deceiving. At three losses, South Carolina is probably not going to get too close to making the playoffs, but if they were sitting at two losses right now, I think they would make it in. 
   
• The committee proved last year with Florida State that they look at injuries. South Carolina lost to LSU without LaNorris Sellers. If we can use an injury not to put someone in, we can use an injury to put someone in the playoff. 
   
• One loss in the conference should not eliminate Texas A&M from anything. I don't think the SEC has a clear No. 1 team. I have Georgia No. 1 in my power rankings. Texas and Texas A&M are at No. 2 and No. 3, respectively. If Texas A&M beats Texas, they will make the SEC Championship game. They could beat whoever they face in Atlanta. What will happen to a two-loss SEC team that loses the SEC Championship? If you are ranked No. 8 or lower and lose, there is a good shot that you are dropped out of the top 12. 
   
• It'll be even worse if that scenario happens, and Texas is in after A&M just beat them. You would be sitting here asking yourself why we are playing these conference championship games. There is a significant amount of money on the line. Someone is going to get really upset about all this. 
   
• Texas beat Michigan, who may go 6-6. I agree with you that if a two-loss SEC team had to be left out, it should be Texas. Where their ranking is now, it is hard to see them falling that far. Maybe if Texas A&M whips them good. Unless they struggle week in and week out leading up to the Texas A&M game, I think they are safe. 
   
• One team you forgot to mention is Missouri. Texas A&M did a good job of eliminating them. They are still on the table to be 10-2. They were No. 24 in the debut playoff poll. They have no shot at the playoff because they got whipped twice. I think they will lose to Oklahoma this weekend. 
   
• After all the talk from them, I would get a kick out of Texas missing the playoff. I am not convinced they will win out leading up to Texas A&M. 
   
• If Ole Mis beats Georgia, I will never call him Lane “Whiffin” again. If he loses, I don't think I will ever call him something other than that. They have been building for multiple years for this moment. That is part of the reason Kiffin was upset it wasn't a night game. My pick is more about Georgia. They looked like the team to beat against Texas and one-half against Alabama. Other than that, they have not been the team to beat. This is not the two-time national champion Georgia. This is not last year's Georgia. That doesn't mean they can't win it all. This is a different Georgia. They can't run the football. It is a huge issue. It seems like they don't have weapons. Carson Beck leads the SEC in interceptions. If you told me he doesn't throw one the rest of the year, I would pick them to win it all. 
   
• People don't grasp how good Ole Miss is on defense. I think it is going to be a low-scoring game. I like Jaxson Dart in this moment and Lane Kiffin to finally show up. I like Ole Miss to knock off Georgia. 
   
• That injury list is Lane being Lane. He knows they are going to fake injuries, so on Sunday, when he gets a phone call from Greg Sankey, he can tell they are all on the list. A guy who scored five touchdowns last week was doubtful on Wednesday. It is a joke. You can't take anything at face value on that injury report. I think Tre Harris is going to suit up in this game. 
   
• The game in Baton Rouge is a coin toss. I want to know if LSU got exposed by Texas A&M. I was ready to crown Brian Kelly and the LSU Tigers. I thought they were going to win decidedly in Kyle Field. It went the other way. Now, I am questioning LSU. In the second halves against Ole Miss and Arkansas, LSU's defense pitched shutouts. I don't think they are dynamic on defense, but they were trending in the right direction. For a half, it was trending that way against Texas A&M. I think LSU can clean up defending the quarterback run in two weeks. I don't think Alabama can clean up their secondary in two weeks. They are a train wreck. I like LSU's advantage with Garrett Nussmeier and those wide receivers. I think it will be a very high-scoring game, and I lean towards LSU. What a world we may live in if Alabama is eliminated from the playoff on November 9. If Kalen DeBoer thinks his seat is warm today, wait until Sunday.
   
• Jalen Milroe's recent rushing totals have been 50, 11, 36 and 10 yards. He has not been the dynamic runner he has displayed.
   
• Diego Pavia is the best football player in the SEC right now. Is he going to be the first pick in the NFL Draft? Certainly not. I am just talking about one guy for one college football game. How can you be anything but over the moon about Diego Pavia? He has changed the culture of Vanderbilt. 
   
• Vanderbilt could make the playoffs if they win out. They play South Carolina, LSU and Tennessee. How would you deny them if they won all of those?