ATLANTA - The odds are stacked against both Tennessee and Auburn in the SEC championship game this evening.

The Vols are 13-point underdogs. The unbeaten Tigers are bigger underdogs in the Bowl Championship Series.

UT only has to beat one team. Auburn has to beat a team and a system.

Even an unbeaten team can't always beat the system.

In this system, Southern California is No. 1 and Oklahoma is No. 2. In this system, No. 3 Auburn might as well be No. 30.

No. 3 doesn't even get a bronze medal in the BCS. It gets a bid to the Sugar Bowl and an also-ran opponent while the top two teams play for the national championship in the Orange Bowl.

When Auburn looks across the line at UT, it won't just see orange. It will see red - Oklahoma red.

If USC beats UCLA this afternoon and Oklahoma beats Colorado for the Big 12 championship tonight, it's unlikely Auburn could beat UT badly enough to qualify for the national championship game.

Auburn could pass Oklahoma in both Top 25 polls and still not overtake the Sooners in the BCS standings. No SEC team has ever been in this predicament.

An unbeaten conference champion unable to play for a national title? That's supposed to happen in Conference USA, not the SEC. This is Auburn, not UAB. This is a team that routed Tennessee in Neyland Stadium, that leads the nation in scoring defense, and that has two running backs worthy of a first-round NFL pick.

Remember when the Vols were whining about a lack of respect earlier this year? Imagine how the Tigers feel. After a lights-out season, they could be the odd team out in a system that teaches us: "No one remembers who comes in third."

The door hasn't closed on the Tigers, but it's swinging in the wrong direction. They need more than a big victory. They need a big upset.

Is Colorado up to it? Don't ask.

But at least the kickoff times are favorable to Auburn. At the conclusion of the SEC championship game, the Big 12 championship should still be in doubt. The Tigers could expend as much energy cheerleading as playing.

And by the end of the evening, two SEC teams could be disappointed.

Auburn 27, Tennessee 20: The Vols have been at their best as a double-digit underdog in the last four seasons. They have defied the odds and beaten superior teams.

They stunned Florida three years ago in The Swamp. They upended Miami in the Orange Bowl Stadium last year. They beat Georgia in Athens in October.

They won enough big games as a big underdog to convince you they will play their best tonight. But against a team as motivated as Auburn, UT's best won't be enough.

Top 25: USC 45, UCLA 20; Oklahoma 34, Colorado 20; California 37, Southern Mississippi 14; Virginia Tech 23, Miami 20; Louisville 63, Tulane 20; Pittsburgh 34, South Florida 27.

Record: 203-42 (.828) overall, 139-106 (.567) against the spread.

John Adams may be reached at 865-342-6284 or adamsj@knews.com.