Times have changed. Even the SEC doesn’t produce easy 12-0 juggernauts anymore. As David Pollack said, “The days of undefeated seasons, I think you can kiss the bye-bye.” And history backs him up. Only four teams have run the table in the last six years, and even those giants barely survived. “There’s too many factors now,” the former Georgia star added. “When you even out the talent gap and now you play on the road and you’ve got injuries, it ain’t going to be surviving them like you used to because the talent is so much more spread out.” And that level of competition leads us to the next.

Chris Doering put that same idea on the table when he joined Cole Cubelic on Cube Show: Presented By Wickles Pickles on August 20. “I think there’s 10 teams that could be playing in the SEC Championship game this year,” he said. “I don’t know how far down the list that you would go, but I honestly believe there’s 10 teams that are Atlanta worthy potentially.” And Cubelic didn’t hesitate to rattle off the names. “Obviously Georgia, Texas, Bama, LSU, Florida, Oklahoma, Auburn, South Carolina, Missouri, Tennessee, there’s 10,” he said. Then, he even threw Sam Pittman and Arkansas into the mix. Because Taylen Green is talented enough to steal games, and Travis Williams’ defense has enough speed to cause chaos in a one-game setting.

It’s a wild claim when you look at Arkansas’ Vegas number of 5.5 wins. Josh Pate already went on record picking the under on the Razorbacks, calling their path painful and warning of another rough fall in Fayetteville. Sam Pittman’s 5-year record sits at 30-31, and outside of one sparkling 9-4 in 2021, it’s been mostly middling football. Add in a rough schedule featuring Notre Dame, Memphis, and five AP Top-25 teams, and it’s hard to buy the hype.

Still, Sam Pittman isn’t throwing his hands up in frustration. He swears by his new roster, one built heavily on portal pickups like QB Taylen Green and believes the close losses from last year can flip. “We’ve got a good football team,” the HC said. “We’ve got a good staff. We’ve got great facilities. We got a great State of fans at the University of Arkansas, the state of Arkansas. There’s no reason we can’t do it.” Optimism sells in August. By October, reality usually cashes the check and every team is better than the previous year. 

David Pollack gives numbers for SEC playoff teams

If you ask David Pollack, the real story isn’t Arkansas clawing to six wins. It’s how many SEC teams crash the playoff. On Southeastern 16, he didn’t hesitate when Chris Lee teased a dozen contenders. “I got 12. I’m right there with you. It’s fun,” he said. Fun for fans, brutal for coaches. His playoff four mixes tradition with curveballs. Alabama, led by Kalen DeBoer’s new era, still has Ryan Williams and a defense ready to snap back. Georgia stays Georgia with Kirby Smart’s machine not slowing down. 

Texas finally looks built to last with Arch Manning at the wheel. And the surprise is Texas A&M. David Pollack sees Mike Elko restoring order and Marcel Reed adding juice, making the Aggies more dangerous than people think. In this 12-team world, perfection isn’t required. Ten wins might do the job if they come against SEC gauntlets. That’s why the math works. Depth across the league means more playoff bids, fewer spotless records, and Saturdays that feel like survival mode. 

In other words, the SEC might not crown an undefeated king, but it could send an army to the bracket. And that’s a tradeoff the league and the fans will gladly take.