Some new rule changes could make late-game situations more interesting for SEC games in 2018. Specifically, SEC coordinator of officials Steve Shaw outlined a new instant replay rule that will affect the final minute of each half. 

There will now be a 10-second runoff on the game clock for instant replays when calls are reversed inside of one minute of either half. Before diving into what it means, here's the entire language of the new rule: 

  • With less than one minute in either half and a replay review results in the on field ruling being reversed -- and the correct ruling would not have stopped the game clock -- then the clock would be reset to the time the ball is declared dead by replay. The referee will subtract 10 seconds from the game clock and the game clock will start on the referee's signal. 
  • Either team may use a timeout to avoid the runoff. 

Sifting through that word salad, this basically means that if a correct call would not have stopped the game clock, the 10-second runoff is meant to simulate that running clock. An example would be if a quarterback threw an interception inside the final minute of a game but replay overruled the call because the quarterback's knee was down. In that case, the correct ruling would be a sack and 10 seconds would be subtracted from the time the play was ruled dead. The only way to prevent this runoff is if a team has a timeout to use. 

Additionally, CBS Sports' Dennis Dodd notes that games decided by one or two points at the end of regulation will be of great interest now that sports betting has been legalized. If on the last play of the game the winning team is up by only one or two points, the scoring team's option to kick the extra point (or not) could obviously have a major impact on any lines sports betters took before kickoff. 

In short, if a game is coming down to the final minute, there's far more at stake in 2018 -- and moving forward -- than there ever has been.