Some of it may be overboard, dancing on the grave of a not-dead patient by SEC haters who finally see their chance. Some of it is a chance to vent back at the loud pro-SEC voices, at ESPN and elsewhere. And a lot of this may be premature. New arrival Texas could still bring the SEC its sixth national title in eight years.

Either Marcus Freeman or James Franklin will become the first Black head coach to make an FBS national championship game, and other story lines to watch.

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish defeated the SEC champion Georgia Bulldogs in a thrilling Sugar Bowl on Thursday. The Irish’s win was their first major bowl win since 1993, a remarkable accomplishment for the program in the modern era.

While Alabama and Ole Miss narrowly missed the final cut, three different SEC teams punched their ticket to the first-ever 12-team playoff. One of those three teams, the Georgia B