New SEC divisions and pods thread (Page 30 starts recent discussion)

[Tracer Bullet 190]

11 minutes ago, longhornmatt said:

This.  If pods are going to be a thing, they would need to be a rotating division format.   “Playing everyone more frequently!” only sounds good on paper before you start playing the games.  Once we are actually in the conference, that shine will wear off and be greatly outweighed by, “How the fuck did that team get in the championship with their shitty schedule?  This is bullshit!”  

People should game out just how divergent the schedules can and will be if the only guaranteed common opponents are the 3 teams in your pod and the other 6 games are all variable.  And then you just pick the 2 teams with the best record from that hodgepodge?  That’s asking for frustration and controversy.

And I’ve seen the response to that on here already: “Who cares if one team has a harder schedule which causes them to miss out on the conference championship and lose more games than an inferior conference mate? Everyone will account for that when choosing playoff teams.”  Yeah, no they won’t.  Georgia was better than A&M last year.  Who was ranked higher at the end of the year and in the argument for the playoff?  Aggy, because they had 1 loss and Georgia had 2 losses.  We see this happen every year. 

 

 

16 minutes ago, Tracer Bullet said:

You could say the same thing about the 2 per pod setup.  Have 2 pods play the same same 2 teams inter pod 

 

See my example below.  Each orange column effectively plays the same non-pod schedule and each white column does as well.  

The issue is (and I suppose to your point) - in this example OU and UT wouldn't play the same non-pod schedule unless on the same "sequence" (like Texas and Mizzou are on the same sequence in this example).   You'd have to have them on the same sequence or simply weight inter-pod games at 2x or something to decide pod champs

[alphahorn 1637]

1 hour ago, Lowcountry Hog said:

Sadly, it means more to UA than LSU…

 

And frankly more than the forced Mizzou v Ark rivalry.  
 

If my swine can’t get the Pod of Hate, I’d prefer: Ark, LSU,  Ole Miss and Miss State

 

Would bet my 401K on Bama, Auburn and Tenner being in a pod together

That would be the pussiest pod possible. good luck with that dream

[alphahorn 1637]

with a a 12 team playoff, they might drop the conference championship game, or the other extreme perhaps they have a semifinals and finals with the pod winners

Edited July 25, 2021 by alphahorn

[Lowcountry Hog 266]

16 minutes ago, alphahorn said:

That would be the pussiest pod possible. good luck with that dream

The egg bowl isn’t getting broken up.  Ole Miss is LSU’s biggest rival.  It’ll be those 3 and either aTm or the Hogs IMO. 

[Pato del Muerto 52644]

5 hours ago, Neonmoon said:

If we’re going divisions, it means we rarely play the East teams. You’re basically in a 8 team conference. Not a fan, but whatever. It will be fun to play Aggy, Arkansas, OU, Ole Miss, MSU, LSU, Bama, Auburn every year 

just realizes that one team would have to move. Guess Bama or Auburn 

Missouri to the west and the bama pair to the east

[Ignatius 4045]

The idea of playing everyone in your pod plus two in each of the other pods is great for schedule symmetry and getting a home and home every four years. Its two big problems IMO are the CCG and with cross-pod rivalries that should probably be preserved (UGa-Auburn, us and aggy if we’re not in the same pod).

 

As far as the CCG, why not just rank the 4 pod champs by overall conference record and let the tiebreaker sequence take care of it? If there’s an incredibly weak pod, then their champ will have probably lost 3-4 conference games so they’re out of the mix anyway. If you cross-pollinate pods like under this plan, you’ve got a decent shot at a head to head matchup, so the loser can’t bitch about that. If you somehow have the doomsday scenario of three undefeated pod champs, #3s consolation prize is a guaranteed entry into the 12 team playoff, and as an added bonus for losing the supreme glory of winning the SECSECSEC, you get a week of rest before the playoffs that those teams didn’t get.

The rivalry thing shouldn’t be discarded, but in the end the schools involved could always play in their ‘missing’ years as an out of conference game. In this new age of college athletics, it seems like ‘tradition’ has been kicked to the curb anyway. 
 

 

Edited July 25, 2021 by Ignatius

[alphahorn 1637]

14 minutes ago, Lowcountry Hog said:

The egg bowl isn’t getting broken up.  Ole Miss is LSU’s biggest rival.  It’ll be those 3 and either aTm or the Hogs IMO. 

it'll be A&M

[Nicole44 22079]

Laughing so hard listening to a friend come up with Pod synonyms:

Cabin (in the woods)

Shopping Cart (cuz it’s all about the money)

Clan (no no no)

Clique (most potential for snobbery)

Faction

[Pato del Muerto 52644]

I like cohort. 
 

 

[conVINCEd 21473]

I like pride.

[Nicole44 22079]

Are there Star Wars terms for group? Pod?

 

[Guest]

Why are the  Tennessee, Alabama, and Mississippi schools in the same pods, yet aggy and UT are separated in some proposals?

[maninblack 7974]

1 hour ago, Huckleberry said:

Reading this thread for the first time. I just assumed the pods idea was based on pairing up with another pod to form a football division for two years. Then you pair up with a different pod for the next two years. If you do that then even with only 7 conference games and no reserved permanent rivalry games you'd still play everyone home and away at least every 6 years. And obviously the teams in your pod every 2 years.

You could have 9 conference games with a reserved rivalry game from each other pod. Something like this (just using the SEC Network's pod idea to be fast):

Pod A interpod rivals: Florida (B - Tennessee, C - LSU, D - Missouri); Georgia (B - Auburn, C - Mississippi St., D - Texas); Kentucky (B - Alabama, C - Ole Miss, D - Arkansas); South Carolina (B - Vanderbilt, C - Texas A&M, D - Oklahoma)

Pod B interpod rivals: Alabama (A - Kentucky, C - LSU, D - Arkansas); Auburn (A - Georgia, C - Texas A&M, D - Missouri); Tennessee (A - Florida, C - Ole Miss, D - Oklahoma); Vanderbilt (A - South Carolina, C - Mississippi St., D - Texas)

Pod C interpod rivals: LSU (A - Florida, B - Alabama, D - Arkansas); Mississippi St. (A - Georgia, B - Vanderbilt, D - Missouri); Ole Miss (A - Kentucky, B - Tennessee, D - Oklahoma); Texas A&M (A - South Carolina, B - Auburn, D - Texas)

Pod D interpod rivals: Arkansas (A - Kentucky, B - Alabama, C - LSU); Missouri (A - Florida, B - Auburn, C - Mississippi St.); Oklahoma (A - South Carolina, B - Tennessee, C - Ole Miss); Texas (A - Georgia, B - Vanderbilt, C - Texas A&M)

So then you have a 9 game conference schedule built in every year. 3 games against your pod. 2 games against the interpod rivals who aren't in your division that year. 4 games against the pod that's in your division that year.

Sample 2022 conference schedules. Pods A/B are Division 1. Pods C/D are Division 2. Pod games are in italics. Interpod rival games are in bold.

Texas - Arkansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, LSU, Mississippi St. Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Georgia, Vanderbilt
Alabama - Auburn, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, South Carolina, LSU, Arkansas
Florida - Georgia, Kentucky, South Carolina, Alabama, Auburn, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, LSU, Missouri
Ole Miss - LSU, Mississippi St., Texas A&M, Arkansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas, Kentucky, Tennessee

And so on. Then after two years the pod pairings switch.

You and I of like mind

[Tracer Bullet 190]

22 minutes ago, Ignatius said:

The idea of playing everyone in your pod plus two in each of the other pods is great for schedule symmetry and getting a home and home every four years. Its two big problems IMO are the CCG and with cross-pod rivalries that should probably be preserved (UGa-Auburn, us and aggy if we’re not in the same pod).

 

As far as the CCG, why not just rank the 4 pod champs by overall conference record and let the tiebreaker sequence take care of it? If there’s an incredibly weak pod, then their champ will have probably lost 3-4 conference games so they’re out of the mix anyway. If you cross-pollinate pods like under this plan, you’ve got a decent shot at a head to head matchup, so the loser can’t bitch about that. If you somehow have the doomsday scenario of three undefeated pod champs, #3s consolation prize is a guaranteed entry into the 12 team playoff, and as an added bonus for losing the supreme glory of winning the SECSECSEC, you get a week of rest before the playoffs that those teams didn’t get.

The rivalry thing shouldn’t be discarded, but in the end the schools involved could always play in their ‘missing’ years as an out of conference game. In this new age of college athletics, it seems like ‘tradition’ has been kicked to the curb anyway. 
 

 

Your last point is actually an amazing idea given the only cross pod rivalries are UT/A&M and Auburn / UGA if the pods shake out like we think.  Just use one of 3 nonconf slots to keep the game

[Tracer Bullet 190]

Just now, sportsbay said:

Brutal schedule.

Hopefully just replaces a tier 1 Pac/Big/ACC nonconf game though

 

[hookem48 4703]

5 minutes ago, slorch said:

Why are the  Tennessee, Alabama, and Mississippi schools in the same pods, yet aggy and UT are separated in some proposals?

doesn't matter, it's going to be 2 divisions. 10 conference games, 1 rival and 2 other cross division games. Texas west, OU east, for the first couple years anyway.

[Guest]

1 minute ago, hookem48 said:

doesn't matter, it's going to be 2 divisions. 10 conference games, 1 rival and 2 other cross division games. Texas west, OU east, for the first couple years anyway.

If they start playing 10 conference games a year, I'd be shocked AF that anyone in the SEC agreed to it.

[mdmost 43060]

The SEC isn't doing 10 conference games. That's just silly.

[Guest]

It would cost every program at least 1/2 of a home( averaged out for two years) game AND their November cupcake.

There's no fucking way.

[hookem48 4703]

Just now, mdmost said:

The SEC isn't doing 10 conference games. That's just silly.

hey, I can just as silly as some of these pod ideas.

[mdmost 43060]

Whatever floats your boat, slapdick. 

[maninblack 7974]

13 minutes ago, sportsbay said:

Actually, the conference should be renamed The Confederacy.  It's really ironic how close this conference is to the actual Confederacy.

No Confederacy starts without Virginia

[Huckleberry 33120]

Okay, so I decided to flesh out my idea a bit since that's what this thread is for. Long as fuck, so don't read if you don't want to. Here is the list of concerns I cared about when doing it:

1. Maintain all big traditional rivalries. Maintain as many secondary rivalries as possible.
2. Ensure that rivalry week games are all in the same pod to eliminate the possibility of turnaround rematches in the championship game. Even rivalries where realistically those two teams would never both be in a championship game (e.g., Tennessee/Vanderbilt).
3. I included Texas/Texas A&M in that because even if it returns to the Thanksgiving weekend tradition that would be too close to the title game. Same with the Egg Bowl and Thanksgiving.

Pods

West Pod - Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Texas A&M
River Pod - LSU, Mississippi St., Missouri, Ole Miss
Central Pod - Alabama, Auburn, Tennessee, Vanderbilt
East Pod - Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, South Carolina

Permanent Interpod Rivals

Arkansas - Ole Miss, Alabama, Kentucky
Oklahoma - Mississippi St., Tennessee, Florida
Texas - Missouri, Vanderbilt, Georgia
Texas A&M - LSU, Auburn, South Carolina

LSU - Texas A&M, Alabama, South Carolina
Mississippi St. - Oklahoma, Vanderbilt, Georgia
Missouri - Texas, Auburn, Kentucky
Ole Miss - Arkansas, Tennessee, Florida

Alabama - Arkansas, LSU, Kentucky
Auburn - Texas A&M, Mississippi St., Georgia
Tennessee - Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Florida
Vanderbilt - Texas, Missouri, South Carolina

Florida - Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Tennessee
Georgia - Texas, Mississippi St., Auburn
Kentucky - Arkansas, Missouri, Alabama
South Carolina - Texas A&M, LSU, Vanderbilt

So each team would have 6 permanent football opponents who they are guaranteed to play every year. Texas's would be Arkansas, Georgia, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, and Vanderbilt. The other 3 teams in each season's 9-game conference schedule would depend on which pods were paired.

THE THREE CONFIGURATIONS

Configuration One - West and River pods are paired as Division A, Central and East pods are paired as Division B

(cross-divisional games shown in parentheses)

Division A

Arkansas (Alabama, Kentucky)
LSU (Alabama, South Carolina)
Mississippi St. (Auburn, Georgia)
Missouri (Kentucky, Vanderbilt)
Oklahoma (Florida, Tennessee)
Ole Miss (Florida, Tennessee)
Texas (Georgia, Vanderbilt)
Texas A&M (Auburn, South Carolina)

Division B

Alabama (Arkansas, LSU)
Auburn (Mississippi St., Texas A&M)
Florida (Oklahoma, Ole Miss)
Georgia (Mississippi St., Texas)
Kentucky (Arkansas, Missouri)
South Carolina (LSU, Texas A&M)
Tennessee (Oklahoma, Ole Miss)
Vanderbilt (Missouri, Texas)

Configuration Two - West and Central pods are paired as Division A, River and East pods are paired as Division B

(cross-divisional games shown in parentheses)

Division A

Alabama (Kentucky, LSU)
Arkansas (Kentucky, Ole Miss)
Auburn (Georgia, Mississippi St.)
Oklahoma (Florida, Mississippi St.)
Tennessee (Florida, Ole Miss)
Texas (Georgia, Missouri)
Texas A&M (LSU, South Carolina)
Vanderbilt (Missouri, South Carolina)

Division B

LSU (Alabama, Texas A&M)
Florida (Oklahoma, Tennessee)
Georgia (Auburn, Texas)
Kentucky (Alabama, Arkansas)
Mississippi St. (Auburn, Oklahoma)
Missouri (Texas, Vanderbilt)
Ole Miss (Arkansas, Tennessee)
South Carolina (Texas A&M, Vanderbilt)

Configuration Three - West and East pods are paired as Division A, River and Central pods are paired as Division B

(cross-divisional games shown in parentheses)

Division A

Arkansas (Alabama, Ole Miss)
Florida (Ole Miss, Tennessee)
Georgia (Auburn, Mississippi St.)
Kentucky (Alabama, Missouri)
Oklahoma (Mississippi St., Tennessee)
South Carolina (LSU, Vanderbilt)
Texas (Missouri, Vanderbilt)
Texas A&M (Auburn, LSU)

Division B

Alabama (Arkansas, Kentucky)
Auburn (Georgia, Texas A&M)
LSU (South Carolina, Texas A&M)
Mississippi St. (Georgia, Oklahoma)
Missouri (Kentucky, Texas)
Ole Miss (Arkansas, Florida)
Tennessee (Florida, Oklahoma)
Vanderbilt (South Carolina, Texas)

Obviously some tweaks could be made. Schedules would be easier for some teams but then that would switch for the next two year pairing in most cases.

[Lowcountry Hog 266]

39 minutes ago, slorch said:

Why are the  Tennessee, Alabama, and Mississippi schools in the same pods, yet aggy and UT are separated in some proposals?

You ain’t paid your dues yet Horns.  You’re lucky we let your underachieving ass in to begin with.  
 

 

Ehhh, actually it’s probably because some faction of Finebaum calling knuckledraggers think the rest of America is on pins and needles to watch Tenner v Vandy

[Lowcountry Hog 266]

3 minutes ago, Huckleberry said:

Arkansas - Ole Miss, Alabama, Kentucky

Get bent 

[Huckleberry 33120]

1 minute ago, Lowcountry Hog said:

Get bent 

Meh, you got easy draws from the other two pods. Tried to even it out as much as possible. Plus let's not forget that Saban has to die someday. Eventually. Alabama has had good spells but they've also decade-plus dry spells. Which we're experts on around here right about now.

[Lowcountry Hog 266]

1 minute ago, Huckleberry said:

Plus let's not forget that Saban has to die someday

I’m not sure sure 

 

 

 

[Pato del Muerto 52644]

7 minutes ago, Huckleberry said:

Okay, so I decided to flesh out my idea a bit since that's what this thread is for. Long as fuck, so don't read if you don't want to. Here is the list of concerns I cared about when doing it:

1. Maintain all big traditional rivalries. Maintain as many secondary rivalries as possible.
2. Ensure that rivalry week games are all in the same pod to eliminate the possibility of turnaround rematches in the championship game. Even rivalries where realistically those two teams would never both be in a championship game (e.g., Tennessee/Vanderbilt).
3. I included Texas/Texas A&M in that because even if it returns to the Thanksgiving weekend tradition that would be too close to the title game. Same with the Egg Bowl and Thanksgiving.

Pods

West Pod - Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Texas A&M
River Pod - LSU, Mississippi St., Missouri, Ole Miss
Central Pod - Alabama, Auburn, Tennessee, Vanderbilt
East Pod - Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, South Carolina

Permanent Interpod Rivals

Arkansas - Ole Miss, Alabama, Kentucky
Oklahoma - Mississippi St., Tennessee, Florida
Texas - Missouri, Vanderbilt, Georgia
Texas A&M - LSU, Auburn, South Carolina

LSU - Texas A&M, Alabama, South Carolina
Mississippi St. - Oklahoma, Vanderbilt, Georgia
Missouri - Texas, Auburn, Kentucky
Ole Miss - Arkansas, Tennessee, Florida

Alabama - Arkansas, LSU, Kentucky
Auburn - Texas A&M, Mississippi St., Georgia
Tennessee - Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Florida
Vanderbilt - Texas, Missouri, South Carolina

Florida - Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Tennessee
Georgia - Texas, Mississippi St., Auburn
Kentucky - Arkansas, Missouri, Alabama
South Carolina - Texas A&M, LSU, Vanderbilt

So each team would have 6 permanent football opponents who they are guaranteed to play every year. Texas's would be Arkansas, Georgia, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, and Vanderbilt. The other 3 teams in each season's 9-game conference schedule would depend on which pods were paired.

THE THREE CONFIGURATIONS

Configuration One - West and River pods are paired as Division A, Central and East pods are paired as Division B

(cross-divisional games shown in parentheses)

Division A

Arkansas (Alabama, Kentucky)
LSU (Alabama, South Carolina)
Mississippi St. (Auburn, Georgia)
Missouri (Kentucky, Vanderbilt)
Oklahoma (Florida, Tennessee)
Ole Miss (Florida, Tennessee)
Texas (Georgia, Vanderbilt)
Texas A&M (Auburn, South Carolina)

Division B

Alabama (Arkansas, LSU)
Auburn (Mississippi St., Texas A&M)
Florida (Oklahoma, Ole Miss)
Georgia (Mississippi St., Texas)
Kentucky (Arkansas, Missouri)
South Carolina (LSU, Texas A&M)
Tennessee (Oklahoma, Ole Miss)
Vanderbilt (Missouri, Texas)

Configuration Two - West and Central pods are paired as Division A, River and East pods are paired as Division B

(cross-divisional games shown in parentheses)

Division A

Alabama (Kentucky, LSU)
Arkansas (Kentucky, Ole Miss)
Auburn (Georgia, Mississippi St.)
Oklahoma (Florida, Mississippi St.)
Tennessee (Florida, Ole Miss)
Texas (Georgia, Missouri)
Texas A&M (LSU, South Carolina)
Vanderbilt (Missouri, South Carolina)

Division B

LSU (Alabama, Texas A&M)
Florida (Oklahoma, Tennessee)
Georgia (Auburn, Texas)
Kentucky (Alabama, Arkansas)
Mississippi St. (Auburn, Oklahoma)
Missouri (Texas, Vanderbilt)
Ole Miss (Arkansas, Tennessee)
South Carolina (Texas A&M, Vanderbilt)

Configuration Three - West and East pods are paired as Division A, River and Central pods are paired as Division B

(cross-divisional games shown in parentheses)

Division A

Arkansas (Alabama, Ole Miss)
Florida (Ole Miss, Tennessee)
Georgia (Auburn, Mississippi St.)
Kentucky (Alabama, Missouri)
Oklahoma (Mississippi St., Tennessee)
South Carolina (LSU, Vanderbilt)
Texas (Missouri, Vanderbilt)
Texas A&M (Auburn, LSU)

Division B

Alabama (Arkansas, Kentucky)
Auburn (Georgia, Texas A&M)
LSU (South Carolina, Texas A&M)
Mississippi St. (Georgia, Oklahoma)
Missouri (Kentucky, Texas)
Ole Miss (Arkansas, Florida)
Tennessee (Florida, Oklahoma)
Vanderbilt (South Carolina, Texas)

Obviously some tweaks could be made. Schedules would be easier for some teams but then that would switch for the next two year pairing in most cases.

I think I like this. But so as I understand it, the pod pairs change to rotate the last 3 conference game schedules right?  Do you have a preference to home and home and then rotate, or rotate every season so home vs team a then 3 years later away vs team a?

[Huckleberry 33120]

I'm assuming it rotates after two seasons so home-and-homes are finished. 

2022 - Configuration One
2023 - Configuration One
2024 - Configuration Two
2025 - Configuration Two
2026 - Configuration Three
2027 - Configuration Three

So by 2027 everyone in the 16-team conference has visited and hosted every other team in the conference. It avoids stupid shit like Georgia still not having been to Texas A&M.

[Tracer Bullet 190]

10 minutes ago, Huckleberry said:

Okay, so I decided to flesh out my idea a bit since that's what this thread is for. Long as fuck, so don't read if you don't want to. Here is the list of concerns I cared about when doing it:

1. Maintain all big traditional rivalries. Maintain as many secondary rivalries as possible.
2. Ensure that rivalry week games are all in the same pod to eliminate the possibility of turnaround rematches in the championship game. Even rivalries where realistically those two teams would never both be in a championship game (e.g., Tennessee/Vanderbilt).
3. I included Texas/Texas A&M in that because even if it returns to the Thanksgiving weekend tradition that would be too close to the title game. Same with the Egg Bowl and Thanksgiving.

Pods

West Pod - Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Texas A&M
River Pod - LSU, Mississippi St., Missouri, Ole Miss
Central Pod - Alabama, Auburn, Tennessee, Vanderbilt
East Pod - Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, South Carolina

Permanent Interpod Rivals

Arkansas - Ole Miss, Alabama, Kentucky
Oklahoma - Mississippi St., Tennessee, Florida
Texas - Missouri, Vanderbilt, Georgia
Texas A&M - LSU, Auburn, South Carolina

LSU - Texas A&M, Alabama, South Carolina
Mississippi St. - Oklahoma, Vanderbilt, Georgia
Missouri - Texas, Auburn, Kentucky
Ole Miss - Arkansas, Tennessee, Florida

Alabama - Arkansas, LSU, Kentucky
Auburn - Texas A&M, Mississippi St., Georgia
Tennessee - Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Florida
Vanderbilt - Texas, Missouri, South Carolina

Florida - Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Tennessee
Georgia - Texas, Mississippi St., Auburn
Kentucky - Arkansas, Missouri, Alabama
South Carolina - Texas A&M, LSU, Vanderbilt

So each team would have 6 permanent football opponents who they are guaranteed to play every year. Texas's would be Arkansas, Georgia, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, and Vanderbilt. The other 3 teams in each season's 9-game conference schedule would depend on which pods were paired.

THE THREE CONFIGURATIONS

Configuration One - West and River pods are paired as Division A, Central and East pods are paired as Division B

(cross-divisional games shown in parentheses)

Division A

Arkansas (Alabama, Kentucky)
LSU (Alabama, South Carolina)
Mississippi St. (Auburn, Georgia)
Missouri (Kentucky, Vanderbilt)
Oklahoma (Florida, Tennessee)
Ole Miss (Florida, Tennessee)
Texas (Georgia, Vanderbilt)
Texas A&M (Auburn, South Carolina)

Division B

Alabama (Arkansas, LSU)
Auburn (Mississippi St., Texas A&M)
Florida (Oklahoma, Ole Miss)
Georgia (Mississippi St., Texas)
Kentucky (Arkansas, Missouri)
South Carolina (LSU, Texas A&M)
Tennessee (Oklahoma, Ole Miss)
Vanderbilt (Missouri, Texas)

Configuration Two - West and Central pods are paired as Division A, River and East pods are paired as Division B

(cross-divisional games shown in parentheses)

Division A

Alabama (Kentucky, LSU)
Arkansas (Kentucky, Ole Miss)
Auburn (Georgia, Mississippi St.)
Oklahoma (Florida, Mississippi St.)
Tennessee (Florida, Ole Miss)
Texas (Georgia, Missouri)
Texas A&M (LSU, South Carolina)
Vanderbilt (Missouri, South Carolina)

Division B

LSU (Alabama, Texas A&M)
Florida (Oklahoma, Tennessee)
Georgia (Auburn, Texas)
Kentucky (Alabama, Arkansas)
Mississippi St. (Auburn, Oklahoma)
Missouri (Texas, Vanderbilt)
Ole Miss (Arkansas, Tennessee)
South Carolina (Texas A&M, Vanderbilt)

Configuration Three - West and East pods are paired as Division A, River and Central pods are paired as Division B

(cross-divisional games shown in parentheses)

Division A

Arkansas (Alabama, Ole Miss)
Florida (Ole Miss, Tennessee)
Georgia (Auburn, Mississippi St.)
Kentucky (Alabama, Missouri)
Oklahoma (Mississippi St., Tennessee)
South Carolina (LSU, Vanderbilt)
Texas (Missouri, Vanderbilt)
Texas A&M (Auburn, LSU)

Division B

Alabama (Arkansas, Kentucky)
Auburn (Georgia, Texas A&M)
LSU (South Carolina, Texas A&M)
Mississippi St. (Georgia, Oklahoma)
Missouri (Kentucky, Texas)
Ole Miss (Arkansas, Florida)
Tennessee (Florida, Oklahoma)
Vanderbilt (South Carolina, Texas)

Obviously some tweaks could be made. Schedules would be easier for some teams but then that would switch for the next two year pairing in most cases.

Seems too complicated vs just having two 8 team conferences 

 

[clapclapclap 9000]

9 minutes ago, Lowcountry Hog said:

You ain’t paid your dues yet Horns.  

 

Maybe that's because he's a Red Raider.

[Huckleberry 33120]

2 minutes ago, Tracer Bullet said:

Seems too complicated vs just having two 8 team conferences 

 

Well I tend to agree but I'm also here on the pods thread. If you just have the two 8-team divisions then the only downside, realistically, is that you go home-and-home with each conference mate at least every 8 years instead of every 6. But if you have permanent cross-division games then it stretches out even more past that I think. But making my West and River pods a permanent division versus the Central and East pods could allow you to just not have any permanent cross-division games. The only things you lose are LSU versus some of their historical SEC rivals, but LSU fans sound like they don't care that much.

[Pato del Muerto 52644]

4 minutes ago, Huckleberry said:

I'm assuming it rotates after two seasons so home-and-homes are finished. 

2022 - Configuration One
2023 - Configuration One
2024 - Configuration Two
2025 - Configuration Two
2026 - Configuration Three
2027 - Configuration Three

So by 2027 everyone in the 16-team conference has visited and hosted every other team in the conference. It avoids stupid shit like Georgia still not having been to Texas A&M.

It still works like that if you do it

one

two

three

one (other home/away)

two (other home/away)

three (other home/away)

one issue with 9 conference games is the uneven home/away splits. 

[Hank Kingsley 21062]

14 minutes ago, Lowcountry Hog said:

You ain’t paid your dues yet Horns.  You’re lucky we let your underachieving ass in to begin with.  
 

Arkansas in the SEC 

 

You fucking losers are the only reason A&M can pretend to have had any success in the SEC so far. 

 

[Ignatius 4045]

1 hour ago, sportsbay said:

Brutal schedule.

Then how important is this ‘classic rivalry’? I’m totally down with adding aggy as an OOC game in the years when we don’t play in conference. I guess you and I disagree on how much more brutal adding those buttplugs makes our schedule….

[Lowcountry Hog 266]

43 minutes ago, Hank Kingsley said:

Arkansas in the SEC 

3 times as many trips to Atlanta than aTm, Ole Miss and Miss State combined

 

One wrecked motorcycle, hiring a drunk Yankee named Bert (who happened to be 1-0 v UT), and hiring an Aggy high school coach put us on hard times.  We’ll be back to owning Aggy in short order

Edited July 26, 2021 by Lowcountry Hog

[TigernMiamiAU83 15]

12 hours ago, Speedway said:

If this Texas/OU to SEC happens, and if the SEC goes with the "pods" alignment, then the following is pretty much written in stone because of rivalry, history, tradition, and geography:

1. Alabama, Auburn

2. Georgia, Florida

3. LSU, Arkansas

4. Texas, OU

I really think the next four are fairly certain because of competitive balance, rivalries and geography:

1. Alabama, Auburn, Tennessee

2. Georgia, Florida, South Carolina

3. LSU, Arkansas, Mississippi St.

4. Texas, OU, A&M

So really the only speculation is where the last four will be placed:

1. Alabama, Auburn, Tennessee, Vanderbilt because of in-state rival Tennessee

2. Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, Kentucky because of geography

3. LSU, Arkansas, Mississippi St, Mississippi because in-state rival Mississippi St.

4. Texas, OU, A&M, Missouri process-of-elimination leaves the Tigers here

I've read almost all of this thread and registered to chime in to help out a bit.

First, the most important rivalry game that will absolutely not be touched under any circumstances (even if it were to mean TX and OU not joining the SEC) is the Auburn v Georgia game. I can GUARANTEE you this. It is the oldest rivalry, it is the first rivalry, it is the first game ever played between SEC teams. It has always and will always come first. None of Arky, SC, AtM, or Mizz would currently be in the SEC if it endangered that game being played annually. I can promise you AU and UGA would instantly vote against anyone joining the league if that game was in any jeopardy whatsoever.

Next and in order:

2. Florida/UGA

3. Auburn/Alabama

The rest are negotiable and this includes Alabama/Tennessee. Both fantasies for YEARS on the SEC rant have said fuck it on that game. Not all, but an inordinately large number that grows yearly. The hate isn't there anymore, it is forced and people do not watch or care about that game in large part. However, it is old and historic and above the best rivalry from expansion...

4. FL/ LSU

The SEC won't prioritize keeping FL/LSU but I promise you everyone wants to keep that one going.

Finally and probably about to be a thing of the past is the Tiger Bowl, AU/LSU. It's probably gone but it's been the 5th biggest, most watched rivalry since 2000.

One last bit of perspective/history. As a condition of the first SEC expansion with Arky/USCe, each SEC team was given 2 permanent rivalry games. For one reason only. To maintain the AU/FL rivalry. Until the second expansion which dropped the second annual game, AU and FL was the 3rd most played game in SEC history and probably the 4th biggest rivalry in the SEC behind AU/UGA, Bama/Tenn, AU/UGA (in that order at the time in 1992).

[mdmost 43060]

Some good perspective. Thanks for joining and chiming in. If the two permanent rivalries is still going to happen, you'd think pods would help accomplish that. Though if it went to just 1 permanent rival, divisions would work too as there would be at least one rotator. 

Edited July 26, 2021 by mdmost

[Tracer Bullet 190]

13 minutes ago, TigernMiamiAU83 said:

I've read almost all of this thread and registered to chime in to help out a bit.

First, the most important rivalry game that will absolutely not be touched under any circumstances (even if it were to mean TX and OU not joining the SEC) is the Auburn v Georgia game. I can GUARANTEE you this. It is the oldest rivalry, it is the first rivalry, it is the first game ever played between SEC teams. It has always and will always come first. None of Arky, SC, AtM, or Mizz would currently be in the SEC if it endangered that game being played annually. I can promise you AU and UGA would instantly vote against anyone joining the league if that game was in any jeopardy whatsoever.

Next and in order:

2. Florida/UGA

3. Auburn/Alabama

The rest are negotiable and this includes Alabama/Tennessee. Both fantasies for YEARS on the SEC rant have said fuck it on that game. Not all, but an inordinately large number that grows yearly. The hate isn't there anymore, it is forced and people do not watch or care about that game in large part. However, it is old and historic and above the best rivalry from expansion...

4. FL/ LSU

The SEC won't prioritize keeping FL/LSU but I promise you everyone wants to keep that one going.

Finally and probably about to be a thing of the past is the Tiger Bowl, AU/LSU. It's probably gone but it's been the 5th biggest, most watched rivalry since 2000.

One last bit of perspective/history. As a condition of the first SEC expansion with Arky/USCe, each SEC team was given 2 permanent rivalry games. For one reason only. To maintain the AU/FL rivalry. Until the second expansion which dropped the second annual game, AU and FL was the 3rd most played game in SEC history and probably the 4th biggest rivalry in the SEC behind AU/UGA, Bama/Tenn, AU/UGA (in that order at the time in 1992).

The only way to solve for this and the pod system without making it a convoluted mess is to go to a 10 game schedule OR just have UGA/Auburn take the place of a nonconf game the years they do not play.  

[Gatorubet 30326]

Actually, the conference should be renamed The Confederacy.  It's really ironic how close this conference is to the actual Confederacy.

And instead of “Student Athletes”, we could change it to “Slaves” .

[Tracer Bullet 190]

2 minutes ago, Gatorubet said:

And instead of “Student Athletes”, we could change it to “Slaves” .

ATHOLETES!

 

[RollLeft 5045]

Here's how i'd do it...

Note: Two divisions, West/East.  6 in division games every year (1 rivalry played every year +5 division games).  3 non division games every year(except every third year only two).  The West is as follows...

Edited July 26, 2021 by RollLeft

[TigernMiamiAU83 15]

Well, and this is just my personal preference and I think the pods are more likely, but I believe we will go to a 9 game league schedule and I personally like the idea of 3 permanent opponents and a set of even year opponents and a set of odd year opponents. Everyone would play every team in the league every two years and your 3 permanent opponents annually.

Granted that would create some scheduling inequities in terms of difficulty. A poster named "chadthundercock" posted a graphic of what it could look like for each team on the SEC rant. AU would get its 3 historical rivals, FL, UGA, Bama. TX would get AtM, OU and either Mizz or Arky. 

I think the pods are more likely though as schedule difficulty could be balanced out more effectively with Pods. We will see...

Edited July 26, 2021 by TigernMiamiAU83

[mdmost 43060]

1 hour ago, TigernMiamiAU83 said:

Granted that would create some scheduling inequities in terms of difficulty. A poster named "chadthundercock" posted a graphic of what it could look like for each team on the SEC rant. AU would get its 3 historical rivals, FL, UGA, Bama. TX would get AtM, OU and either Mizz or Arky. 

I think the pods are more likely though as schedule difficulty could be balanced out more effectively with Pods. We will see...

Can you post that graphic or link to it? I'd rather not subject myself to SEC Rant if I can avoid it. 

[Nicole44 22079]

2 hours ago, Tracer Bullet said:

ATHOLETES!

 

 

[conVINCEd 21473]

4 hours ago, Huckleberry said:

I'm assuming it rotates after two seasons so home-and-homes are finished. 

2022 - Configuration One
2023 - Configuration One
2024 - Configuration Two
2025 - Configuration Two
2026 - Configuration Three
2027 - Configuration Three

So by 2027 everyone in the 16-team conference has visited and hosted every other team in the conference. It avoids stupid shit like Georgia still not having been to Texas A&M.

Georgia would like a word with you.

[Bruno71 13]

Disclosure…I’m an old ag ‘71.

This whole thread has been an interesting read and, I think, pretty much lays out the different ways this latest SEC group of schools can play each other going forward. 

But, being newbies to the conference, you will discover the old guard that runs the SEC really doesn’t give a shit what you think should be done. You, for the first time ever, are not on home turf. You basically are leaving a sinking ship with bags of money, hoping to be picked up by somebody. You, being Texas, don’t see it that way. But it is what it is. You bags of money are what’s getting you picked up. You’re not a cultural fit with any of the schools and your reputation for trying to runs things is well known. They remember how you put them down 10 years ago as not being up to your academic and cultural standards and how you wanted to go with the west coast schools. And Arkansas, Missouri and A&M have pretty well put the word out you don’t play well with others.

One more thing. You keep talking about this ‘Rivalry’ game with the Ags. It’s over. A&M moved on 10 years ago. For money and political reasons, A&M bosses may well take an annual game with Texas. But it won’t be because they want to. You may have heard this already, but the Ags feel like someone who finally got rid of their crazy, domineering ex, moved into a nice home in a nice neighborhood, made new friends and had plans for the future. Ten years later, the ex tracks them down, goes to the HOA,who then moves the ex into one of your spare bedrooms. And then said ex wants to pick things back up where they were 10 years ago. 😂

None of this may matter anyway. I’m thinking all of us could just be a minor league for the NFL in a few years. Schools would only matter as a place for the players in development to play. Yearly transfers between teams. Players on payroll. Deferred academic scholarships(no school while playing), etc. But the schools will be making lots of money so who cares.

But, like I said, this is a good thread with grownup discussions and disagreements. I can’t say that for some of Surly’s threads. But you probably know that.

 
 

[ChiTownDoc 21176]

Hilarious how a couple decades after the SWC dies, OU ends up in a pod w UT/aggy/hog.  Bring it.  

[ChiTownDoc 21176]

3 minutes ago, Bruno71 said:

Disclosure…I’m an old ag ‘71.

This whole thread has been an interesting read and, I think, pretty much lays out the different ways this latest SEC group of schools can play each other going forward. 

But, being newbies to the conference, you will discover the old guard that runs the SEC really doesn’t give a shit what you think should be done. You, for the first time ever, are not on home turf. You basically are leaving a sinking ship with bags of money, hoping to be picked up by somebody. You, being Texas, don’t see it that way. But it is what it is. You bags of money are what’s getting you picked up. You’re not a cultural fit with any of the schools and your reputation for trying to runs things is well known. They remember how you put them down 10 years ago as not being up to your academic and cultural standards and how you wanted to go with the west coast schools. And Arkansas, Missouri and A&M have pretty well put the word out you don’t play well with others.

One more thing. You keep talking about this ‘Rivalry’ game with the Ags. It’s over. A&M moved on 10 years ago. For money and political reasons, A&M bosses may well take an annual game with Texas. But it won’t be because they want to. You may have heard this already, but the Ags feel like someone who finally got rid of their crazy, domineering ex, moved into a nice home in a nice neighborhood, made new friends and had plans for the future. Ten years later, the ex tracks them down, goes to the HOA,who then moves the ex into one of your spare bedrooms. And then said ex wants to pick things back up where they were 10 years ago. 😂

None of this may matter anyway. I’m thinking all of us could just be a minor league for the NFL in a few years. Schools would only matter as a place for the players in development to play. Yearly transfers between teams. Players on payroll. Deferred academic scholarships(no school while playing), etc. But the schools will be making lots of money so who cares.

But, like I said, this is a good thread with grownup discussions and disagreements. I can’t say that for some of Surly’s threads. But you probably know that.

 
 

I’m a fairly neutral observer w the whole rivalry you guys have but from what I’ve seen the powers that be in the SEC are gonna look to fuck you a hell of a lot harder than Texas.  You wouldn’t agree?

You've been an outright embarrassment during this whole deal and I’m guessing a lot of those folks in power don’t like being embarrassed.  

[TigernMiamiAU83 15]

8 hours ago, mdmost said:

Can you post that graphic or link to it? I'd rather not subject myself to SEC Rant if I can avoid it.