Every year, at about this time, I start to obsess over where Auburn will end up seeded in the SEC Tournament. Obviously, we’re not going to finish high enough to get a first-round bye (the preferred seeding), so when is the best of the first round games to play in? In my opinion, the best game is the first of the two night games and the worst is the first of the two day games.
It’s so nice being able to arrive in Atlanta, check into the hotel, get a bite to eat, and leisurely change into one’s Auburn Elvis outfit without having to immediately rush over to the Georgia Dome to watch one’s team (hopefully) NOT lose. Also, since the tournament starts on a Thursday, most folks are working, and won’t get to see me on TV if Auburn plays during the day. Playing in the night-time session is just a better deal all-the-way-around.
So, when will Auburn be playing? Well, that’s very difficult to say since all of the bottom four SEC-West teams are tied with 4-9 conference records. The team finishing 3rd in the West will play in the final game of the day Thursday (this is my second choice of times to play). The 4th-placed team will play in the dreaded kick-off spot (it would really suck if Auburn ends up 4th). The 5th-placed team will play in the coveted first of the night-session games (cross those fingers). And the 6th-placed team will play in the second of the daytime games (not bad, but not great).
Since all four teams are so close, final seeding will likely come down to some pretty minute differences in each team’s conference performance: Conference record; head-to-head record; division record; record vs. No. 1 team in division proceeding through the No. 6 team, etc.
It can get pretty complicated, but basically, I hope Auburn finishes 5th.