Too Early to Project SEC Bowl Positioning? Maybe Not

Auburn fans are keeping a sharp eye on the Bowl scenario

 In looking around at the so-called "National Pundits", I see a strange wish, if I may dare, centered in the SEC.  Sites like Bleacher Report and CBSSports.com (see: Jerry Palm) seem to think that Tennessee is going to be the 11th SEC team to round out the bowl tie-ins.  I did some amateur prognostication of my own and, frankly, I'm not buying it.  Here is what the "Big Dogs" seem to see the way it will shake out:

Alabama - BCS National Title Game
Texas A&M - (BCS) Sugar Bowl
South Carolina - Capital One Bowl
Ole Miss - Chik-fil-A Bowl
LSU - Cottom Bowl
Florida - Outback Bowl
Vanderbilt - Music City Bowl
Georgia - Gator Bowl
Mississippi State - BBVA/Compass Bowl
Tennessee - AdvoCare V100 Bowl
Auburn - Liberty Bowl

While I believe that these guys are giving way too many kudos to Texas A & M, LSU and Florida and have paid no attention to Auburn or Missouri....SERIOUSLY? The Liberty Bowl?

I may be a rank amateur, but here is how I see it:

Alabama (yes, I know) - BCS National Title Game
Missouri (Finish 11-2) - (BCS) Sugar Bowl
Auburn (10-2) - Capital One Bowl
South Carolina (9-3) - Outback Bowl
Texas A & M (9-3) - Cotton Bowl (a natural fit - home crowd draw)
Georgia (8-4) - Chick-fil-A (again, win/win - home state crowd)
LSU (8-4) - Gator Bowl (how the mighty have fallen)
Ole Miss (8-4) - Music City Bowl
Vanderbilt (7-5) - Liberty Bowl
Florida (6-6) - BBVA/Compass Bowl

From where I sit, it doesn't appear that an SEC team will be spending New Years Eve in Shreveport, LA. The non-bowl eligible SEC teams will be: Mississippi State (5-7), Tennessee (4-8), Kentucky (3-9) and Arkansas (3-9).

Even without the 11th team, the "Bowl Season" is a very profitable time for SEC Commissioner  Mike Slive and the Presidents of the 14 member institutions.  This year, the SEC stands to collect upwards of $30 million in Bowl payouts.  That's a little over $2 mil per school.  Not bad, doc!!!

Hold your breath for the next 3 weeks, it's gonna be interesting...AND FUN!!!!