How the West Could Be Won: The Scenarios That Could Throw the SEC West Into Chaos

It's no secret that the SEC West is the toughest division of the toughest conference in college football.  Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Alabama and Auburn are on paths that could make the final week of the regular season the most anticipated week ever.  And just when you thought they were dead, LSU went and inserted themselves back into the conversation by knocking off the Rebels in Baton Rouge, setting up for yet another monster Tide-Tigers match up that we've become so used to.  It's not out of the realm of possibility for the season to end with five teams having two losses, all to each other.  It's a situation the College Football Playoff Committee is looking forward to, I'm sure.

So here's what each team has to do to win the SEC West:

Mississippi State and Ole Miss:
The Bulldogs and Rebels have the best paths to Atlanta.  All they have to do is win out.  The Bulldogs would be undefeated then and there would be no question who had won division.  The Rebels' loss to LSU opened up avenues for other teams, but if they win out they would hold tie breakers over Alabama (who they already beat) and MSU (who they would have to beat to win out).  If Ole Miss can get past Auburn and Miss State, the Rebels are in good position, though another loss almost puts them out for good (remember the "almost" part for later).  If the Bulldogs drop a game at this point, it would also be difficult for them to re-enter the race.

Alabama and Auburn:
This is where it really gets interesting. Not only will Alabama and Auburn need the Mississippi schools to lose, they might need each other to pull it off.  Ole Miss owns the head-to-head over Alabama, meaning if the Tigers can beat the Rebels this weekend, the Tide will control its own destiny.  If not, the best chance for the Rebels to lose again comes at the Egg Bowl.  Auburn needs Mississippi State to lose twice, courtesy of the Bulldogs' win over the Tigers two weeks ago.  The toughest tests left for State are by far a game in Tuscaloosa, and the aforementioned Egg Bowl.  If these losses occur, the Iron Bowl could end up deciding the SEC West.

LSU:
Alright, bear with me here. LSU's chances at taking the West are microscopic at this point.  However, there is a chance.  First, LSU needs to win out.  That would give Alabama two losses, knocking down one domino.  They would then need Ole Miss to fall to Auburn, Alabama to beat Miss State and Auburn, and Ole Miss to beat the Bulldogs.  Then you have it: pure mayhem. Five teams in the SEC West, all with 2 losses, all coming against each other.  The process by which tie-breakers are applied here would be near impossible to figure out.  If it comes down to the records of cross-divisional opponents, Auburn would benefit having played Georgia and South Carolina. But the madness would only further complicate things as the Playoff Selection Committee would be forced to sort through the mess.

The SEC East isn't set in stone either. Georgia is the clear favorite there, but a loss to Auburn could leave them with two conference losses, opening the door for Missouri who has just one SEC loss and a much easier schedule ahead.

The SEC has cannibalized its own in the past, but we've never seen anything like this season.  Get your popcorn ready, November is going to be must-watch football.