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Here are the paths to the SEC championship game, College Football Playoff for SEC contenders

By Koki Riley

Here are the paths to the SEC championship game, College Football Playoff for SEC contenders

There are only four weeks left until conference championship weekend, but the race for berths in the College Football Playoff and the SEC championship game is still up for grabs for many SEC teams.

Five teams enter the final month of the regular season with just one loss in conference play. Eight teams have two overall losses or fewer. No team is undefeated and there are multiple schools -- including South Carolina, Vanderbilt, Kentucky and Arkansas -- who have proven they can pull off an upset.

Here's where every top SEC contender stands in the CFP and SEC title game races heading into Week 11.

Missouri

Record: 6-2, 2-2 SEC

CFP ranking: 24

Last week: Idle

Next up: vs. Oklahoma, 6:45 p.m. Saturday (SEC Network)

CFP/SEC outlook: Missouri's path to the CFP and/or SEC championship game is somewhere between slim and none. The Tigers have lost their two biggest matchups of the season (at Texas A&M and at Alabama) in blowout fashion, and they don't have anymore games remaining against top contenders.

For now, they're included in this exercise because they have only two losses, but one more defeat would rule them out entirely. The Tigers have only a 6.5% chance of making the playoff, according to ESPN's College Football Power Index.

Texas A&M

Record: 7-2, 5-1 SEC

CFP ranking: 14

Last week: Lost to South Carolina 44-20

Next up: Idle

CFP/SEC outlook: The Aggies were in the driver's seat to make the SEC championship game as the last undefeated team in conference play before losing to South Carolina on the road last weekend. Their odds of making the CFP also looked strong before the loss with big wins over Missouri and LSU, and their only loss was to CFP contender Notre Dame in a competitive affair.

Texas A&M can still make the CFP and SEC title game if it wins out; ESPN gives the Aggies a 20% chance of making the playoff. But a matchup against Texas in the final week of the regular season looms large.

LSU

Record: 6-2, 3-1 SEC

CFP ranking: 15

Last week: Idle

Next up: vs. Alabama, 6:30 p.m. Saturday (ABC)

CFP/SEC outlook: Two weeks ago, the Tigers were one half away from being atop the SEC standings. They were undefeated in conference play, led the SEC's only other undefeated team Texas A&M 17-7 at halftime and already had a big win over Ole Miss under their belt. But LSU collapsed in the second half and lost 38-23.

The defeat was a big setback, but LSU's CFP and SEC championship game hopes are not finished. ESPN projects the Tigers have a 20.4% chance of making the playoff, and a win on Saturday at home against Alabama would propel them right back into the thick of the playoff race.

Ole Miss

Record: 7-2, 3-2 SEC

CFP ranking: 16

Last week: Defeated Arkansas 63-31

Next up: vs. Georgia, 2:30 p.m. Saturday (ABC)

CFP/SEC outlook: Ole Miss' CFP chances hinge on this weekend when the Rebels host top CFP contender Georgia. Their odds of reaching the SEC championship game are close to zero -- they already have two losses in conference play (LSU and Kentucky) -- but a win over the mighty Bulldogs would do wonders for their CFP odds.

ESPN gives Ole Miss a 29% chance of making the playoff. A win over the Bulldogs would help offset its disappointing loss to Kentucky in September.

Alabama

Record: 6-2, 3-2 SEC

CFP ranking: 11

Last week: Idle

Next up: at LSU, 6:30 p.m. Saturday (ABC)

CFP/SEC outlook: Alabama's playoff chances are still alive and well, despite its dubious SEC championship game odds. The Crimson Tide has two SEC losses to Vanderbilt and Tennessee, but its win over Georgia has kept its playoff odds above 50%, according to ESPN.

As big as the Georgia win was for Alabama, it'll still have to beat LSU in Tiger Stadium and win out the rest of the way to crack the 12-team playoff.

Tennessee

Record: 7-1, 4-1 SEC

CFP ranking: 7

Last week: Defeated Kentucky 28-18

Next up: vs. Mississippi State, 6 p.m. Saturday (ESPN)

CFP/SEC outlook: The Volunteers are in a good spot heading into the final four weeks of the season. They only have one loss in conference play and hold a big win over Alabama. They also have another opportunity to boost their resume against Georgia in two weeks.

The loss to Arkansas is damaging for Tennessee if it falls to Georgia. But unlike most of the other playoff contenders in the SEC, it still has some room for error. A loss to Georgia wouldn't eliminate the Vols from CFP contention.

Texas

Record: 7-1, 3-1 SEC

CFP ranking: 5

Last week: Idle

Next up: vs. Florida, 11 a.m. Saturday (ABC)

CFP/SEC outlook: The only speed bump in the Longhorns' season to this point is a 15-point home loss to Georgia. Besides that, Texas has coasted through its SEC slate.

The Longhorns have some work to do to lock in its spot in the playoff. They still have to face Texas A&M to finish off the regular season. But if they win out, their odds of making the SEC championship game look strong and their playoff chances would be even stronger. ESPN gives them a 78.7% chance of reaching the CFP.

Georgia

Record: 7-1, 5-1 SEC

CFP ranking: 3

Last week: Defeated Florida 34-20

This week: at Ole Miss, 2:30 p.m. Saturday (ABC)

CFP/SEC outlook: The Bulldogs may have the most impressive win in the country having taken down Texas on the road. Combined with their win over Clemson and opportunities to add to their resume the next two weeks against Ole Miss and Tennessee, they have the best odds of reaching the playoff among the SEC contenders.

The loss to Alabama means Georgia will, in all likelihood, have to win out to make the SEC championship game. But it could lose to either the Rebels or Volunteers and still have a strong shot at making the playoff. ESPN tabs Georgia's CFP odds at 92.6%.

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