The SEC Future: How a 3-6 schedule would work
Everyone talked about the new SEC schedule.
Regardless of what Greg Sankey would love to say, the SEC is going to follow the Pac-12 – (and Big 12 a few years before that, incidentally), and go for a system where the best two team in the SEC play each other in the SEC Championship Game. And that system would be 9 games, and not 8.
One thing’s that’s not going to happen is the ‘1-8 schedule’ (1 permanent rival, and 7 revolving rivals), because that will mean that a lot of key TV assets won’t play each other, not to mention Georgia v Auburn, or Alabama v LSU, and Texas v Texas A&M.
There are some people who like the ‘2-7 schedule’ (2 permanent rivals, and 7 revolving rivals). It wouldn’t affect Texas, Oklahoma and Texas A&M per se (Texas would play OU and Texas A&M, while A&M would play Texas and probably Arkansas, and OU would play Texas and someone else, maybe Missouri), it would affect Auburn, or LSU, or even Alabama.
For us – and a bunch of college football commentators, the 3-6 (3 permanent rivals, 6 revolving rivals) model works.
So here we go with our thoughts about who’s schedules would be those 3. Sorry if this offends, Florida and LSU fans.
Alabama: Auburn, LSU, Tennessee
Auburn’s the in-state rival that won’t be let go, LSU’s one of the biggest rivalry games in college football, and the Tennessee game has been played since 1928. Sorry, Jimbo.
Arkansas: Texas, Texas A&M, Missouri
In the old Southwestern Conference Days, Texas and Texas A&M were heavy, hated rivals. Missouri’s a recent ‘rival’, but it’s better than the Golden Boot of LSU.
Auburn: Alabama, Georgia, LSU
No-one in the State’s going to allow Alabama v Auburn go, the Georgia game is one of the oldest in college football, and the LSU game’s a SEC rivalry that’s been played for the best part of half-a-century straight. It’s hard for Auburn, but there we go.
Florida: Georgia, Vanderbilt, Tennessee
We all the ‘World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party’ ain’t goin’ away. And the Tennessee game – which used to be one of the biggest games on the SEC calendar, can continue to flare up.
Georgia: Auburn, Florida, South Carolina
Georgia v Auburn has been played for 126 games total – with 76 straight games. The Florida game is a ratings winner, and it’s equally massive. The SEC would want to keep UF-UGA and the status of UGA and Auburn. South Carolina? We’re going with locality more than anything.
Kentucky: Mississippi State, Missouri, South Carolina
The Mississippi State game’s a weird one, because it’s actually gone on for nearly 50 years and no-one has really noticed it. The Missouri game is locality, because they border on each other. And South Carolina, because it’s a ‘traditional’ East rivalry.
LSU: Alabama, Auburn, Ole Miss
LSU v Alabama is pretty self-explanatory from a SECESPN point of view, and the Auburn game is nearby too, and awesome fun. The Ole Miss game is obviously because Ole Miss’ hatred of the Tigers. Sorry to say goodbye to LSU v Florida, but it’s not really been going that long, anyway.
Missouri: Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kentucky
Missouri played Oklahoma for 88 years straight and some games in the 2000s when they played in the Big 12. Kentucky and Missouri border each other. As does Arkansas.
Mississippi State: Ole Miss, Kentucky, South Carolina
The Egg Bowl ain’t movin’ and Kentucky is a pretty old-and-good rivalry. South Carolina because it’s a team in the East.
Ole Miss: Mississippi State, LSU, Vanderbilt
The Egg Bowl ain’t movin’, Ole Miss hates LSU, and Vanderbilt because it’s actually one of the most ancient rivalries in the SEC (and we only just found out about it!)
Oklahoma: Texas, Texas A&M, Missouri
The Red River stays. Texas A&M is an old Big 12 clash. Missouri is an old rivalry. This has been the easiest to figure out.
South Carolina: Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi State
Georgia is/was a passionate, local rivalry. Kentucky v South Carolina’s is fun in the SEC East, and Mississippi State’s an ‘East rival’
Tennessee: Alabama, Florida, Vanderbilt
The Bama game’s got longevity. So has the Florida game. The Vandy game’s a local one.
Texas: Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Arkansas
Two traditional rivalries, another one based on hatred. All pretty local, too. Beautiful.
Texas A&M: Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma
One major rival. One old Big 12 rival. And one nearby rival that’s been playing each other a lot recently. Beautiful.
Vanderbilt: Tennessee, Ole Miss, Florida
The Tennessee rivalry’s pretty simple. The Ole Miss game has actually been played 96 times. The Florida game’s the least likely, but in a pod that works, the SEC’s unlikely to want get rid of the Auburn-LSU game because of the ‘local’ nature of the rivalry instead of Florida v LSU – despite the fact that Florida-LSU’s the longer-running, and has bred more exciting games.