That is the 2nd or 3rd I have seen, this one has us with UF, the other had us with UT. I think right now writers are just guessing, I think there are maybe half a dozen games we can count on, but the rest are just speculation.. but like you said UK and OM or Mizzu makes no sense, but no one does for MIzzu,
Tennessee will stay on our schedule
- Thread starter panthergram
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That is the 2nd or 3rd I have seen, this one has us with UF, the other had us with UT. I think right now writers are just guessing, I think there are maybe half a dozen games we can count on, but the rest are just speculation.. but like you said UK and OM or Mizzu makes no sense, but no one does for MIzzu,
One would assume Tx/Texas A & M.
Texas/Oklahoma
Bama/Auburn
Ole Miss./Mississippi State
UT/Bama
Georgia/Auburn
Ut/Vandy.
UT/Kentucky
Those are 8 rivalries that need to be continued, and I think could be with the 3 protected opponents per year.
I just realized UT has three rivalries that are historic. One might have to go.
I know that and hate it. If the same system were in place this year the SEC office located in Alabama would have gotten Bama in the SEC Championship in spite of head to head losses.
You clearly don't pay attention to how things work in the SEC offices.
I would think some of these would be obvious. There are big money games that bring big TV audiences that I don't see ESPN moving away from. So start with the big games and fill in the rest. For example, UGA is going to have the Cocktail Party and the Deep South's Oldest Rivalry. At that point, they will fill in a team that is going to need a rival and my guess is USC.
Tennessee is going to get Florida and Bama. From there, it will come down to a regional rivalry. Most likely Vandy, but USC and UK could be in the mix.
Auburn will get the Iron Bowl and UGA. Texas will get OU, aTm and Arkansas. Ole Miss will get MSU and LSU. And the list will go on.
Once the big games are on the schedule, we will see the rest filled in. Unfortunately, UK isn't part of any of the big money rivalry games. My best guess right now is that they will end up with Vandy, USC and either MSU or Missouri. Not a horrible slate of guaranteed opponents, but not super exciting either.
Tennessee is going to get Florida and Bama. From there, it will come down to a regional rivalry. Most likely Vandy, but USC and UK could be in the mix.
Auburn will get the Iron Bowl and UGA. Texas will get OU, aTm and Arkansas. Ole Miss will get MSU and LSU. And the list will go on.
Once the big games are on the schedule, we will see the rest filled in. Unfortunately, UK isn't part of any of the big money rivalry games. My best guess right now is that they will end up with Vandy, USC and either MSU or Missouri. Not a horrible slate of guaranteed opponents, but not super exciting either.
This is the stupidest shit I’ve ever heard. We have established procedures for three team tie breaks already, which would have resulted in UGA-UT. Utter drivel.
The cocktail party is likely on its last contract, we will likely keep playing UF but home and home.
I agree that the networks will want to keep as many big games on the schedule as possible. However, will the top teams agree to play a harder schedule than the lower half?
That would be the best possible scenario for UK. Getting to play 3 programs that we have pretty much had our way with over the last 5 seasons in Vandy, USC and Mizzou could make a big difference in actually competing in the SEC.
I assume Missouri will get UK because they'll specifically ask for UK, since they consider UK a big rival, even if UK doesn't.
Don't think anything is in stone yet. I am sure ADs will have input on who their 3 will be
Who does Georgia get? Surely one must be Florida, no way they end one of the best games in college football. Especially when both are contenders.
That would almost be as bad as ending Alabama - Auburn
That is a fair group. Both UF and Auburn will not be at the bottom for long. Not with their recruiting base. Should be fun years ahead.
There will be a split in the top 8 programs and the bottom eight. Each scheduling group will have 2 of each. Alabama, Georgia, Texas, Oklahoma, LSU, Florida, Texas A&M and Tennessee will be the top eight. No more than two of them in each group. Kentucky ,Vanderbilt ,Missouri, South Carolina. Arkansas, Mississippi, Mississippi State and Auburn will be the bottom feeders. Auburn might be switched with one of the top.
No link, because as I said in my post, I ASSUME that. Just from all the Missouri chatter before the UK game last year and their coach call UK their biggest SEC rival.
I would prefer for those 3 games for UT to stay intact, but I would think that if the SEC, in its infinite wisdom, did decide to keep 2 and drop 1 for UT, UK would be the odd man out as I think the SEC would definitely keep UT-Bama because of the tradition, and Vandy being the in-state conference rival. It would be disappointing to lose the UT-UK game now that it has become a competitive rivalry, but of those 3 that would be the 1 I would most likely assume the SEC would drop. But that is obviously speculation as I wouldn't presume to guess what Sankey will do.
Speaking of TN, they got their punishment from the Pruitt regime back from the NCAA. Couple of guys talking about it said they won't get much. Maybe lose a couple of scholarships, restrictions on recruiting and maybe something else. But will not amount to much of anything.
Florida is unlikely to be a permanent UT opponent. Their two main rivals are Bama and Vandy. They'll go to great lengths to protect those two. That leaves a third slot that will be more fluid.
As for Florida, they are most likely to want to protect the UGA game, while UT doesn't register at the same level.
I thought I would take a stab at what it might look like. Keep in mind that these are only three games. Six more to balance out the SOS:
| Team | Rival 1 | Rival 2 | Rival 3 |
| Alabama | Auburn | Tennessee | LSU |
| Arkansas | Texas | Texas A&M | Oklahoma |
| Auburn | Alabama | Georgia | Miss St |
| Florida | Georgia | Tennessee | South Carolina |
| Georgia | Florida | Auburn | South Carolina |
| Kentucky | Vanderbilt | South Carolina | Missouri |
| LSU | Mississippi | Alabama | Texas A&M |
| Mississippi | Mississippi St | LSU | Vanderbilt |
| Mississippi St | Mississippi | Auburn | Missouri |
| Missouri | Oklahoma | Kentucky | Mississippi St |
| Oklahoma | Texas | Missouri | Arkansas |
| Tennessee | Florida | Alabama | Vanderbilt |
| Texas | Oklahoma | Arkansas | Texas A&M |
| Texas A&M | Texas | Arkansas | LSU |
| South Carolina | Florida | Georgia | Kentucky |
| Vanderbilt | Tennessee | Kentucky | Mississippi |
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I don't see the SEC giving Bama 3 of the so-called Top 8 teams while giving UK 3 of the Bottom 8. I would think the SEC will try to balance schedules out more than that.
You think UK gets 2 of the worst teams in the conference?
Who were the top 2 teams in the SEC? Even losing head to head against UT they were still ranked higher, maybe it is me who needs to come the f*ck on.
So Auburn is playing.....Auburn?
Well we know that the big boy's run this SEC and they will do what makes them look good.. So with that here we go, UK will be playing the best of the best, Bama, UGA, A&M, Sooner's, as the perm teams... lol
I have no idea what the chief's will do, but I hope ThugU is not one of them, hate everything about them... So that means they will be one of them, MO, Vandy, USCe, or UF.... I would not mind getting UF every year...
GBB
I have no idea what the chief's will do, but I hope ThugU is not one of them, hate everything about them... So that means they will be one of them, MO, Vandy, USCe, or UF.... I would not mind getting UF every year...
GBB
Lets say this mythical 8 good programs vs 8 bad programs divide exists.
If you are Alabama you are obviously one of the good programs and if your 3 permanent opponents are Auburn, Tennessee, and LSU that gives you 3 games vs other good programs. So of your 6 remaining games you have 8 bad programs and 4 other good programs to choose from meaning in a typical year you likely get 4 bad and 2 good in the rotation. So 5 good programs and 4 bad each year.
Flip that for Kentucky, we are obviously the bottom half and if our 3 permanent opponents are Missouri, Vandy, and South Carolina then they are 3 more lower tier programs but 4 of our 6 rotating games are likely to be from a higher tier program meaning we get 4 good and 5 bad teams each year.
I could see Alabama throwing their weight around and not wanting that, but while it will never be perfect the schedules will be more balanced than the east/west divide has been lately no matter who your 3 main opponents are and you can still get the big rivalry/tv ratings games each year.
If you are Alabama you are obviously one of the good programs and if your 3 permanent opponents are Auburn, Tennessee, and LSU that gives you 3 games vs other good programs. So of your 6 remaining games you have 8 bad programs and 4 other good programs to choose from meaning in a typical year you likely get 4 bad and 2 good in the rotation. So 5 good programs and 4 bad each year.
Flip that for Kentucky, we are obviously the bottom half and if our 3 permanent opponents are Missouri, Vandy, and South Carolina then they are 3 more lower tier programs but 4 of our 6 rotating games are likely to be from a higher tier program meaning we get 4 good and 5 bad teams each year.
I could see Alabama throwing their weight around and not wanting that, but while it will never be perfect the schedules will be more balanced than the east/west divide has been lately no matter who your 3 main opponents are and you can still get the big rivalry/tv ratings games each year.
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When I put my list together I kept in mind that the league indicated that the AD's would have some choice in the matter. I started thinking about who each AD would request as their top 3. Outside of Missouri and Vandy, I couldn't see any other team listing Kentucky as a top 3 rival. Tennessee, Florida and Georgia probably wouldn't have Kentucky in their top 5. Miss St and USC might have them in the top 4.
Tennessee isn't going to give up Vandy, Bama and Florida to play UK. UGA isn't giving up Florida, Auburn and USC to play UK. Florida might be willing to give up USC, but they would probably want LSU and not Kentucky. Outside of MSU, no one in the West is a UK rival in football.
Again, this is only a third of the schedule. Six more game are going to be added. These games are the leagues guaranteed money games that they can put forward every season. These are the games that matter to the school and the alumni. Personally, I hope I am wrong, because Vandy and Missouri aren't really teams that excite much when it comes to a rivalry, but I can't see anyone going to the table and demanding they get to keep the Kentucky rivalry going.
The problem with the top8/bottom8 is where to draw the line. There's really a top 9: Alabama, Georgia, LSU, Florida, Texas, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Tennessee, Auburn. Which of those gets kicked to the kids' table?
I tried putting a schedule together with each of those last 3 teams in the bottom tier. If it's Auburn, you lose the Georgia-Auburn game (because Auburn's 1 game against the top group would be Bama). If Auburn is in the top group, LSU gets kind of screwed with no natural rival matchups in the top group - Bama likely has Tennessee and Auburn, Florida has Georgia and Tennessee. they'd get Ole Miss from the bottom group but I end up with LSU stuck with just Texas and Oklahoma - tough games that aren't rivals. And realistically, Tennessee is in the top group. They've not been a powerhouse over the last couple decades but they're historically one of the SEC's top programs. I think it has to end up with Auburn in the bottom group. If that's the case, I come up with this - first two columns are in your group, 3rd column is game against other group (edit: made a couple of minor tweaks and no longer rigidly adhere to the top 8/bottom 8 divide):
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UGA won't willingly give up AU, if UF insist on our game staying Jax it won't be in our top 3, USC is just in the East, play them because they are on the schedule not because they are a big rival. Clemson is a bigger rival than USC and we seldom play now.
If they DO go with a top 8/bottom 8 there's a very good chance Auburn is bottom 8, and then you will absolutely lose that game because Auburn's 1 game against the top tier will be Alabama.
