First…yes I’m proud of the SEC and elated to be part of it. That said, there are some obvious drawbacks to this affiliation…and we’re not alone in this boat.
The main issue is the schedule. The league is never down. Some years will see other teams at the top but the top will always be good. This means that we will never get an easy trip through the schedule like ACC and Big 12 teams will. It will always be a grind. It was tough before and the addition of Oklahoma and Texas don’t help. Getting to another 10 win season for us will be challenging to say the least.
But, relating back to this thread, it will be just as hard for us to be highly ranked and have a realistic shot at the playoffs. It’s gonna be tough for a 3 or 4 loss team to crack the top twelve and with our year-in-year-out schedule that is probably what we can expect. As stated, it’s hard to beat Bama, Georgia, LSU, Texas, Oklahoma, Tennessee and others on a regular basis if you’re not a legacy powerhouse…which we are not.
So, I’m torn. I want us to be in the best conference in the country and I want us to contend for a playoff spot. Right now, I think it’s hard for both of these things to happen. I guess my point is, while we rightfully mock the ACC and Big 12, would we not fare better on the national stage and have a MUCH better chance at making the 12 team playoff if we were in one of those conferences?
These are the things that keep me awake at night.