With the news that Oklahoma State is trying to join the SEC, it’s worth analyzing which teams the SEC would potentially accept if they asked to join.
Will the SEC take Clemson?
Under Dabo Swinney, Clemson has turned into a football powerhouse. Clemson won two national championships in the 2010s and made the playoffs four other times during the decade. Also, Dabo’s relatively young age ensures that Clemson will be a great team for a long time.
Bringing Clemson into the SEC would allow the conference to negotiate a larger TV contract. Games against Alabama, Georgia, and other SEC foes will be primetime competition, and many TV networks will want to be the one displaying those games.
What about Miami?
The University of Miami is one of the traditional bluebloods of college football. Miami has won five national championships, which ties for sixth most in the AP top 25 poll era. But, Miami has struggled to regain its previous form for the better part of 15 years. Head coaches Randy Shannon, Al Golden, Mark Richt, and Manny Diaz weren’t able to get Miami back to the top of college football.
But current head coach Mario Cristobal seems to be making moves to make Miami a consistent contender. Cristobal poached Broyles Award winner Josh Gattis from Michigan, and made him the offensive coordinator. Cristobal also hired Kevin Steele as DC, who directed elite defenses at Auburn. Additionally, Cristobal is known as an elite recruiter, as he got four straight top 15 classes while head coach at Oregon.
If Cristobal can lead Miami to consistent Top 25 finishes, the SEC won’t think twice about admitting them to the conference.
Will Florida State be left out of the SEC sweepstakes?
While FSU is a traditional powerhouse program, they seem less likely to be picked than the other two schools. Florida State has struggled thus far under head coach Mike Norvell. So far Norvell has compiled a record of 8-13 as the head coach of FSU. In fact, last year, they lost to an FCS opponent for the first time in the history of the program. If FSU’s trajectory under Norvell doesn’t drastically change, they will become less and less appealing to the SEC over time.
However, Florida state won a national championship less than a decade ago. Their success under Jimbo Fisher hasn’t faded from the minds of many CFB fans. This means their brand still remains strong, despite some of the recent setbacks. Fans across the nation will want to see Florida State matchup against the top SEC teams, in order to see if FSU is back to the glory days.