At best, I can see this as a guideline not a hard rule. Exceptions will be made.
Tennessee will stay on our schedule
- Thread starter panthergram
- Start date
OK here's a SLIGHTLY tweaked top8/bottom8 model (also made a change to have Texas get Arkansas). The only weird thing in here I see is South Carolina vs Oklahoma but it's what I'm left with fitting everything else in. South Carolina doesn't have many natural rivals.
I would have us play South Carolina and vandy play Missouri but I think you are very close with this.OK here's a SLIGHTLY tweaked top8/bottom8 model (also made a change to have Texas get Arkansas). The only weird thing in here I see is South Carolina vs Oklahoma but it's what I'm left with fitting everything else in. South Carolina doesn't have many natural rivals.
Tennessee is generally being placed in the bottom tier, so if that's the case, then Bama getting Aubie, LSU, and UT would work.
Looking at this prediction. Vanderbilt has the "easiest" permanents of anyone and South Carolina would have the toughest in the old SEC East IMO. When you look at these that is probably the best overall I have seen. It seems all the teams will have permanents that actually make sense in regards to traditional games and geography. In reality everyone will play everyone at home and away every 4 years. If you are going to have 16 teams in a conference that is about as good as you do it.
Go Big Blue!
Auburn played in a national championship game less than ten years ago and they've won a title within the last 20 years. They're also one of the conference's traditional powers that have been very good for a long period of time. They're not bottom 8 by any measurement.
Who is? There's really a 9/7 split and the way I have it drawn up now Alabama plays 3 of the top 9, Oklahoma only plays 1, and the other 7 each play 2.
Where is this top 8 thing coming from, I have seen it nowhere else. But in the end I don't think the SEC will want to do away with the souths oldest rivalry when both want to play it. AU can't survive without GA kids so they 100% want to keep playing UGA.
But even going with top 8 and bottom 8, right now what leads you to believe UK is in 2nd group? Going by recent results the bottom group is State, Mizz, Vandy, USC, Texas, UF, OM Arky, AU, ATM. The ones who have been better are Bama, UGA, LSU, UT looked good last year, OU looked weak last year. If the do somehow end up going with 2 groups I don't see how UK is 2nd level and certainly isn't one of the 8 weakest programs.
OK here's a SLIGHTLY tweaked top8/bottom8 model (also made a change to have Texas get Arkansas). The only weird thing in here I see is South Carolina vs Oklahoma but it's what I'm left with fitting everything else in. South Carolina doesn't have many natural rivals.
For the life of me I don't see how you have ATM or Texas ahead of UK. We are talking current not 20 years ago.
It's more about prestige, historical success... and basically $$$$. You want your money programs playing more games against other money programs. Kentucky has had more recent success than some other teams, but Kentucky just isn't drawing eyeballs the same as others.
And I'm not sure the 8/8 split thing will happen, there are just others talking about that so I drew up what it might look like if that's how they did it. I then end up deviating a bit from it.
A little off subject but wondered if anyone saw the article this week about OK coming to the SEC early and comments from Barry Switzer. He made a couple of comments that I thought was funny but didn't write them down. He was basically saying that OK better be prepared mentally with what they are getting into. He said for them it will be like when they play Texas except it will be like that every week. He said OK going to the SEC is why they lost Riley because he knew what it would be like. Anyhow, his exact words were pretty funny. Maybe someone could share that.
Given the annual rotation of “the other six,” it kind of balances out, anyway.
When I heard “the top 8” we’re choosing two from their number, and “the bottom 8” two from their number, I thought it was kind of generous. But annually, it might boil down to a quarter or a half games difference in standings. Or even less in years Texas, Auburn, Florida, etc. just aren’t very good.
Programs like ours tend look at those who have won national titles the last 25 years as near bullet-proof. But “the Top 8” in the SEC have 4 or 5 who have had a losing season the last three to five seasons.
I want ThugU to stay on our schedule so hopefully we can kick some big ugly orange butt... I hate them with power of a thousand sun's...
GBB
GBB
If we are getting away from divisions, then why would go to another 2 division system? Don't come with claiming UK is one of the 8 weakest programs in the conference. Fan of another program making that claim would be run out of here.
Tennessee will keep Bama, VU and UK. History and distance will matter alot. They want full stadiums. You’ll still get UT and UF every other year. UK and UGA every other year. Sacrificing recent rivalries like LSU and TAMU and UF and UT is not a huge deal to the SEC because you’re getting UGA and Bama every other year. UT Vs UT every other year. OU Vs UF every other year. This isn’t a scenario like we have now where power houses go 7 yrs without facing off in the same conference.
Sure, the last 6/7 seasons, but there were many prior to those.
In reality, it won’t make a lot of difference how they pick protected opponents, as at a minimum, we all play the full slate each two years.
What does those many prior years have to do with today? Right now when this method is being considered UK is one of the top 8 programs in the conference, anyone who doesn't think so hasn't been paying attention. Of course things could change again, but can't claim to be ready to win the conference and then claim to be a bottom half team because it gets you an easier schedule.
The problem here is that we're arguing past each other. You're making the case "Kentucky is recently one of the 8 strongest programs in the conference," which is accurate. I'm not arguing against that. The argument isn't where Kentucky stands today. The question is: "If the SEC schedules based on a top 8/bottom 8 divide, how will they decide on the divide." You think they will or should divide it based on current team strength. I think they will divide it based on historical program prestige and expectation of what teams will draw the most eyeballs for TV. Again, this is if they decide to schedule this way.
The important rivalries generate money regardless of whether or not the teams are dominant. Tennessee got their first win against Saban this season. Didn't mean the game wasn't important to both teams, and that the audience for the game wasn't huge. There was a time when Phil Fulmer had the Volunteers playing for National Titles, and a big accomplishment for Alabama was Mike Shula not falling out of his chair.
Florida has been a shell of themselves since Mayer left, but do you think anyone has them in a bottom 8 of the SEC. Do you think coaches will be complaining because someone's schedule is too easy because Florida is one of their permanent rivals?
This whole top 8/bottom 8 stuff is ridiculous. When it comes to rivalry games, throw the records out the window. Mississippi State and Alabama have one of the longest running rivalry games in the history of the SEC. I doubt State has won a fourth of them, but I guarantee they will want to preserve that game. It means too much to the fans, the alumni and the program.
Florida has been a shell of themselves since Mayer left, but do you think anyone has them in a bottom 8 of the SEC. Do you think coaches will be complaining because someone's schedule is too easy because Florida is one of their permanent rivals?
This whole top 8/bottom 8 stuff is ridiculous. When it comes to rivalry games, throw the records out the window. Mississippi State and Alabama have one of the longest running rivalry games in the history of the SEC. I doubt State has won a fourth of them, but I guarantee they will want to preserve that game. It means too much to the fans, the alumni and the program.
We can agree on UK being a top half SEC program today, what we don't agree on is where everyone was 25 years ago should matter today.
UF has had success under 2 coaches, not a single SEC championship for UF unless SOS or Meyer were coaching, they want to act like college football started in the 1990s, not the 1890s and ended in 2010. Even between those 2 they were very average. They had a 20 year run where they weren't mediocre and even had a few years in those 20 where they weren't much.
I definitely agree the bottom half and top have is ridiculous and anyone stuck in the bottom half should be pissed.
Outside of Vandy with the money ,resources and exposure getting poured into SEC just about everybody will be a top 20 team potentially and physically ever year . I really don’t think people realize exactly how tough just going 8/4 or 9/3 gonna be for anybody in SEC . With all the talent and TV its gonna be like NFL with a bunch of .500 records . The NFL figured it out if everybody is competitive and has a chance to win it every few years it good for them all. Rising water floats all boats . Fans that want 13-0 every year will get disappointed if SEC is smart .
I think the days of 5 P5 conferences are over, Big 12 lost their name schools, replaced them with group of 5 teams, are they still a P5 conference. ACC's media deal is crippling them. Outside SEC and BIG10 Pac seems the most stable. But can they compete without the fundd.
Just look at 2020, the Covid Season.
Kentucky finished 4-6 in conference, and when Bowl opponents were announced, NC State fans had a lengthy thread bitching that they deserve a better bowl opponent for the Gator Bowl.
In that very thread, someone listed specifically our record, with Road losses at Auburn, Florida, and Alabama. The posters’ tone immediately switched to utter defeatism.
NC State had won 8 or 9 ACC games that season.
Sorry to disagree with you Grumpy but the P12 is just about to be gobbled up.
Arizona and Arizona State are looking into joining the Big 12 with Colorado and Utah possibly as well.
It’s a strange world in college athletics these days…
You are right, I thought the Pac 12 had yhe stronger teams, still do, but doesn't seem to matter. I just missed on the conference who is folding up house. But don't think it matters, think Big 10 and SEC will each poach 2-4 teams from Big12 and when ACC teams become available will do the same there. I think it will become 2 25 or so super conferences and everyone else be today's D2.
Ill bet this is reviewed every 5 to 10 years. These are probably not "permanent" in every instance.
Our SEC record for 2015 through 2022 is 30 wins and 36 losses. I'm not sure of other SEC teams. This may be a way the top 8 and bottom 8 is selected.
I think the whole splitting the conference into 8 traditional powers vs 8 lower tier programs and making the schedules even based off of that comes from the same people who think that 4 16-team conferences is the ultimate outcome of all of this. It is a way to make 'cents' out of the whole realignment thing and have it fit into a box, but not how you make the most dollars which is what this is all about.
Much like how we often get stuck with playing home and home series with who is projected to be the top basketball programs in the league each year, part of being Alabama is that you may get stuck with Auburn, Tennessee, and LSU each year.
Much like how we often get stuck with playing home and home series with who is projected to be the top basketball programs in the league each year, part of being Alabama is that you may get stuck with Auburn, Tennessee, and LSU each year.
I don't think it will be divided like this but my top 8 for the last 5 years I clouding the newcomers.
Bama
UGA
LSU
OU
OM
UK
MSST
UT
UF
ARKY
A&M
USC
TEXAS
AU
MIZZ
VANDY
It could be, but 7 is a random number, I think a 5 or 10 year timeframe would be something to look at.
UT and KY are 2.5 hours apart……makes more sense to keep you two together.
If you get Vandy, Mizzou, UF then you just got a get out of jail free card
No matter how it goes some will be happy and some will not be. The only one I really would like to is AU because it's the souths longest running, other 2 don't matter.
