Eight or Nine Game SEC Schedule

[statsman 5,675]

Three SEC teams made the CFP. I see SEC heads like Saban saying that this is a disincentive for SEC teams to schedule difficult games OOC. I saw coaches from other conferences saying the SEC should have a nine game schedule. 
 
I assumed that the SEC would go to nine games when the money is good enough (to match the B1G media revenue). Now, I’m not so sure. 
 
In an eight game league schedule, there are formats where teams can have one annual rival. There are no formats for three annual rivals. 
 
Nine game schedules can have three annual rivals. Texas has three obvious rivals- OU (and neither team wants to surrender the match in Dallas), Arkansas (Texas can take or leave them, but Arkansas Carrell wants this game), and TAMU (where everybody else seems to enjoy the game more than Texas and TAMU). 
 
So, how do you see this going? I suspect the price for a nine game schedule just went up. If we only have o e annual rival, do you agree it’s OU?

 

[Huckleberry 34,403]

You haven't paid much attention to how the SEC schedules. They do whatever the fuck they want, there is no rotation or format or structure. Texas A&M has played Georgia ONE TIME in 13 seasons.

The SEC will continue with an 8 game schedule and we will still play OU, Texas A&M, and Arkansas every year.

[Biff Tannen 46,060]

Nine. Next question. 

[Pimphand 6,265]

I have always preferred the 3+6 schedule that way if a player stays 4 years they get 1 road game in the 15 other stadiums (except TX/OU and GA/FL) yet still preserves rivalry games.

[Alien Octopus 628]

9 or 10 seems reasonable, chuck championship game.

[TKthunder2 5,058]

I prefer nine but unless something changes for the playoff selection, there is no way they ever go to nine.

[Iceman 2,956]

Make 9 Conference games a level-setter for all playoff consideration.  Anything less than 9, and it counts as a loss.  Fuck you too, Notre Dame.

 

"We're not gonna manage how you schedule, but this is a baseline measure of a playoff team. Go at it however the fuck you want."

Edited December 8 by Iceman

[A-Tex Devil 2,492]

Nine.  But this conference is a circle jerk and they are chickenshit.  We should open every conference meeting with this argument.  
 

Our home schedule is Big XII level bad next year.  Add that extra game. 

[UTexasFight 9,787]

Nine makes the most sense and what most fans want if you took a poll….which is why it will never happen

Edited December 8 by UTexasFight

[mdmost 43,847]

Should be 9 but these pussies want their buy a win games all the while bitching that Texas was gifted an easy schedule when 9 games would’ve given us another hard team instead of Colorado State or ULaMon which we would’ve been fine with

Edited December 8 by mdmost

[52-80 19,378]

17 games. Including 1 on monday, 1 on thursday, and 2 on thanksgiving. 

[Pimphand 6,265]

2 minutes ago, A-Tex Devil said:

Our home schedule is Big XII level bad next year.  Add that extra game. 

I care more about the road games so next year with GA, FL, kY in conference that is badass.

KY for the bourbon trail

FL because my stepdad graduated their (undergrad he did grad at UT) and my old man lives 60 miles from the swamp

GA we need revenge

[89Horn 1,735]

9 minutes ago, Iceman said:

Make 9 Conference games a level-setter for all playoff consideration.  Anything less than 9, and it counts as a loss.  Fuck you too, Notre Dame.

 

"We're not gonna manage how you schedule, but this is a baseline measure of a playoff team. Go at it however the fuck you want."

Are you James Franklin?  Basically, that’s his opinion.  Everyone play the same number of conference games, everyone needs to be in a conference (looking at you Notre Dame), and every conference should have or not have a conference championship game.

I think that is a good take.

[Steelers Roll Left 1,280]

9 please……more if we’re not pussying around

[Iceman 2,956]

4 minutes ago, 89Horn said:

Are you James Franklin?  Basically, that’s his opinion.  Everyone play the same number of conference games, everyone needs to be in a conference (looking at you Notre Dame), and every conference should have or not have a conference championship game.

I think that is a good take.

I have felt like that since the Final Four started or whatever iteration of "playoffs" existed.  Kick that November cupcake to the curb and play a real fucking schedule like everyone else does.  The manufactured byes go away.

[GreenspointTexas 9,931]

Nine. Sick of sec getting away with hiding behind cream puff fcs wins

 

 

fuck it, ill even take 10

[MonkeyDoughnut 10,761]

With size of conferences now, at least 9 should be conference.

[gatormarc 937]

3 hours ago, Huckleberry said:

You haven't paid much attention to how the SEC schedules. They do whatever the fuck they want, there is no rotation or format or structure. Texas A&M has played Georgia ONE TIME in 13 seasons.

There was, in fact, a rotation/structure.

But since they had to maintain divisions with a 14 team conference, it was a 12 year rotation that had two bridge schedules in 2012 and 2013 before it started was set up for 2014-2025

https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/sec-releases-future-schedule-rotations-until-2025/

And just at the time that UGA and A&M were supposed to play their second game, Texas and OU joined which the caused two more bridge schedules in 2024 and 2025 cutting the original rotation 2 years short.

Of course, they did weird things with the bridge schedules... like Florida/A&M was scheduled in 3 of the 4 bridge schedules as well as added to the 10 game conference schedule in 2020, so counting next season, we will have played the Aggies 6 times since 2012.

[Huckleberry 34,403]

So yeah, they claimed there was a structure and then did whatever. And one game against a conference foe in 12 seasons can't really be considered a serious rotating format anyway. 

[Drew 2,833]

3 hours ago, TKthunder2 said:

I prefer nine but unless something changes for the playoff selection, there is no way they ever go to nine.

When they up the playoffs to 14 with just 2 byes and guarantee sec and big 10 get 4 teams in.  
 

we need to go to 9 so the scheduling is balance.  No more “weak schedule” shit. 

[gatormarc 937]

4 minutes ago, Huckleberry said:

So yeah, they claimed there was a structure and then did whatever. And one game against a conference foe in 12 seasons can't really be considered a serious rotating format anyway. 

They didn't do whatever.

They followed the structure for 10 of the 12 years until Texas and Oklahoma joined forcing the rotation to end early.

And no doubt that 2 games in 12 years sucked ass. It's one of the reasons they pushed the NCAA to end divisional requirements.

Edited December 9 by gatormarc

[tx 3 putt 78,461]

if bama beats a shitty ou team, they’re in the playoffs. take care of your business on the field 

saban is a dumbass for making an idiotic statement. 

[gatormarc 937]

7 minutes ago, tx 3 putt said:

if bama beats a shitty ou team, they’re in the playoffs. take care of your business on the field 

saban is a dumbass for making an idiotic statement. 

It didn't even make sense as they have typically played just one P5 team OOC because they don't have a permanent OOC rival.

Starting next year, they have two P5 teams OOC each year, but not this year.

Edited December 9 by gatormarc

[DFW Horn 6,637]

9 conference games and stop playing the SEC Championship.

[BurntEyes 6,198]

On 12/8/2024 at 2:54 PM, 89Horn said:

Are you James Franklin?  Basically, that’s his opinion.  Everyone play the same number of conference games, everyone needs to be in a conference (looking at you Notre Dame), and every conference should have or not have a conference championship game.

I think that is a good take.

This is where I'm at on all levels. We all play a CCG or none do. I would add FCS games shouldn't fucking count for win/loss either way. That allows the small schools to still get scheduled but doesn't reward P4 teams for playing them, particularly late in season (I'm looking at you SEC pussies). Finally, YES no conference, GTFO ND!

[Js1 86,923]

On 12/8/2024 at 4:56 PM, Huckleberry said:

So yeah, they claimed there was a structure and then did whatever. And one game against a conference foe in 12 seasons can't really be considered a serious rotating format anyway. 

But they really really had to protect that traditional, historical rivalry with SoCar

[mdmost 43,847]

All P4 conference need to go to 9 games. 2 of the 4 already do. You balance it by making home and homes lineup so a team doesn't lose a home game one year or the next. It's amusing that we got so much shit for our schedule this year when we played away in our OOC and give up a conference home game every other year for a neutral site rivalry game. The ACC looks even more pathetic by not having 9 conference games. But no because God's gift to football got passed over for SMU, we'll probably still get these stupid 4 OOC schedules so these turds can guarantee cupcake wins and decent home gate revenue. 

[n64ra 1,149]

It should be 9. Same for ACC. Good job to Big 10 and Big 12.

[Valmy77 13,567]

15 game round robin.

But I will settle for 9.

[BonzoMontreaux 1,137]

9 games - have 2-3 designated rivalry games (or 4 - 4 team pods).  Something guarantees rivalries stay in tact and every team plays every other team in home and home over the course of 4 years.  No more of this whatever the heck it is scheduling model they have now.

[ScottS 1,119]

Georgia and LSU, two charter members of the SEC, have played a grand total of 33 times.  And that includes 5 matchups in the conference title game that probably would not have happened otherwise.  From 1954 to 1977 they did not play each other.

Until divisional play started in 1992, Florida and Tennessee played each other a grand total of 21 times, one of those a Gator Bowl matchup for some reason.  There were two stretches of over 10 years where the two did not play.

Alabama and Florida have only played each other 41 times, 10 of those in the SEC title game.

Basically, SEC scheduling has been a total and random crap shoot from day one of the conference.  While I am certainly anything but an SEC historian, anyone who thinks the conference will do the smart thing when it comes to scheduling and go to 9 games with a 3+6+6 model has no clue as to the nearly century long history of this conference.

The only way we will get 9 games will be if the television networks pony up the cash.  I think it is clear the conference won't do anything until the money is right.  Not necessarily the wrong stance to take, or even the wrong stance to take, but it is certainly frustrating to those of us fans that would rather see Alabama play Texas than watch Alabama crush Mercer.   

I cannot see these bloated conferences lasting for very long as the scheduling imbalance is going to make too many schools upset.  Maybe I am wrong and things get worked out but I just have this nagging feeling that there is another shakeup coming in college sports sooner rather than later in relation to conference alignment.

[Saint Tacky 1,647]

I vote for nine. With the CFP expanding to 12 teams, strength of schedule becomes even more critical. A nine-game SEC schedule could position SEC teams favorably in the selection process by enhancing strength of schedule metrics. More higher-profile SEC matchups, more often, would also attract larger audiences and generate more TV revenue. Wouldn't that be helpful during future negotiations for media rights and contracts?

[Catdaddyhorn 3,462]

On 12/8/2024 at 5:56 PM, Huckleberry said:

So yeah, they claimed there was a structure and then did whatever. And one game against a conference foe in 12 seasons can't really be considered a serious rotating format anyway. 

Didnt A&M play Georgia during their first season and the Covid season or am I misremembering? 

[Huckleberry 34,403]

They played them in 2019. That's it since they joined. 

[Nueces River Rat 5,730]

Nine and get rid of the pad the stats/polls game in November.  Which BTW for all this idiots from other SEC teams and the media bitching about how “weak” our schedule was, we didn’t get to play that game in November or late October like most everyone else did.  We got it after the UTSA game in September.   The SEC has always used that game in November to help keep it’s teams ranked in the polls so if they lose a week later, they won’t fall as far in the media polls and it makes the SEC look like the feared gauntlet they told we would never survive.     Meanwhile everyone else is playing conference games and risking their poll positions if they are ranked.  

[jTower 251]

9 games (3+6). 

Have the SEC play more teams from the other P4 conferences. 

Beat them and more SEC teams make the 12 team playoff.

 

[mdmost 43,847]

13 minutes ago, Nueces River Rat said:

Nine and get rid of the pad the stats/polls game in November.  Which BTW for all this idiots from other SEC teams and the media bitching about how “weak” our schedule was, we didn’t get to play that game in November or late October like most everyone else did.  We got it after the UTSA game in September.   The SEC has always used that game in November to help keep it’s teams ranked in the polls so if they lose a week later, they won’t fall as far in the media polls and it makes the SEC look like the feared gauntlet they told we would never survive.     Meanwhile everyone else is playing conference games and risking their poll positions if they are ranked.  

We also were the only SEC team to not play an FCS opponent this year. So for all the talk of our weak schedule, we didn't dip into FCS like the rest. OU gets a pass because I believe they had to add someone at the last minute and Maine was their only option. 

[TOR 6,100]

Play the Little Sisters Of The Blind late to pad the schedule.

[Catdaddyhorn 3,462]

23 minutes ago, Huckleberry said:

They played them in 2019. That's it since they joined. 

LOL, so in our first season we eclipsed the number of times A&M has played Georgia in their entire time in the SEC. Shoot, if you include the Sugar Bowl from a few years back we've tripled their numbered. This league is such a fucking joke when it comes to what's real as opposed to what their image is. 

[sidis 9,990]

On 12/8/2024 at 5:59 PM, gatormarc said:

They didn't do whatever.

They followed the structure for 10 of the 12 years until Texas and Oklahoma joined forcing the rotation to end early.

And no doubt that 2 games in 12 years sucked ass. It's one of the reasons they pushed the NCAA to end divisional requirements.

that makes no sense in reality. in the sec years before texas and oklahoma joined in which the conference had 14 teams, the aggies played georgia 1 time total. putting aside the cross division rival matchups with south carolina (which they played 10 times), they played georgia and kentucky 1 time. they played tennessee and vanderbilt 3 times, florida and missouri 4 times. how in the world could that be called a rotational system?

[ztejas 44,114]

On 12/8/2024 at 2:49 PM, 52-80 said:

17 games. Including 1 on monday, 1 on thursday, and 2 on thanksgiving. 

I get this is an NFL joke but Texas, Penn State and SMU could potentially play 17 this season.

-

Every P4 should play 9 conference games and go back to a division/pod model. Some of the scheduling shit this season was a joke. 

[chainsaw 10,242]

On 12/8/2024 at 2:30 PM, statsman said:

do you agree it’s OU

Anyone who would disagree should be banned

[Sbbruin 22,082]

Those Bama v Mercer games in November are the most regarded thing in CFB.

[Js1 86,923]

10 minutes ago, sidis said:

that makes no sense in reality. in the sec years before texas and oklahoma joined in which the conference had 14 teams, the aggies played georgia 1 time total. putting aside the cross division rival matchups with south carolina (which they played 10 times), they played georgia and kentucky 1 time. they played tennessee and vanderbilt 3 times, florida and missouri 4 times. how in the world could that be called a rotational system?

13 years in the SEC, played Georgia once and Kentucky once.

Texas 1 year in the SEC, played Georgia twice and Kentucky once.

 

[Deej 77,665]

If they want to keep 8, then any FCS game shouldn't count as a game to the committee.

[JBJ 3,780]

1) Every P4 team should play 10 P4 games.

2) Every P4 conference should have a CCG.

I don't care how many of the 10 come in-conference.  To a degree, more good OOC games are preferable.

[Paul Wesley 3,313]

I'm probably in the minority here, but:

1). Really not interested in Arkansas as a permanent rivalry game.  IDGAF about how big the game was 50 years ago. TCU was also a big rivalry at times in our history.  

Totally not excited to play the pigs every year (though they would absolutely love it)  

2). I'm as big a fan of college football as you'll meet, but we've already reached a point where we keep adding games that mean less to your ultimate season results, and asking kids to risk serious injury up to 17 times. 

Texas has been fairly healthy this year, but we're seeing some cumulative injuries to guys like Bond (who is a shadow of the threat he was back in September).

We just saw Georgia lose at least two starters for the season in what was a fairly inconsequential game as it relates to a MNC (yes, winning your conference counts for something).

9 SEC games + conference championship + 4 playoff games...

I think 17 games for 20-year old kids is pushing it.  

One partial fix is to keep an 8-game SEC schedule but punish teams in the tiebreakers who play Lamar or Texas State for their OOC.  I understand our conference mates would vote that down by a wide margin, but it would arguably be good for college football as a whole by making for more Texas v Michigan as opposed to Bama v Mercer. 

[Deej 77,665]

Dump the CCGs.

[Paul Wesley 3,313]

16 minutes ago, Deej said:

Dump the CCGs.

Yeah, I may be with you on that.  

[bad_teammate 13,479]

2 hours ago, Valmy77 said:

15 game round robin.

winner autobid for NC game; skips the playoffs entirely