This is why I think there is huge advantage to playing at home. You may not have a huge talent gap in the first round. We tend to think 3rd/4th teams in the Big or Sec aren’t capable, but they may have 2 losses to top teams early. Maybe they had some injuries or just got beat by a better game plan and have now addressed those issues. This is a season where Bama lost to Vandy on the road. I love the format, because it gives teams chances for redemption. I would just rather play that 1st round game at home, because it would be a much harder task starting your run in Death Valley, Happy Valley, Ann Arbor, or the Shoe. Keep in mind Big 10 honks have been talking about the SEC having a weather advantage in bowls for decades. We are going to see if that is correct. Texas has generally been a passing team under Sark imagine the difference between playing in Austin and Ann Arbor in December. We may see SEC teams play games in the snow in the playoffs