re: Do you want two divisions or groups or perm opponents...

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I want no divisions, no permanent opponents, and nine SEC games. Just a round robin schedule.
Everyone will play everyone else every two years.
Rivalry games will mean more with a break in between.

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I agree about no divisions. As for permanents, I think the 3-6 works if the SEC goes to 9 games. But I think all the ADs of the now 16 team SEC will want to take a look at how the 12 team Playoff looks next year.

So I do understand the need to preserve some of the traditional SEC rival games [UGA/UF, UGA/AU, Bama/AU, Bama/TENN, Ole Miss/State] and rival games coming in from the BIG12 [Texas/OU] and desire to bring back games like Texas/Texas A&M and Texas/Arkansas and OU/MIZZOU.

For LSU, lets be honest we don't have a true rival game that everyone in our fanbase across every generation, former and current players, former AD's and Administrators, alums, etc, etc says is the team that we hate to lose to.

I saw my first LSU game in person in 1970. The 5 teams that LSU played the most from the original SEC were State, Ole Miss, Bama, Florida and UK. LSU had a long history of playing Texas A&M before they joined the SEC. Tulane, Arkansas and Rice are the other 3 teams LSU has played the most. LSU in the 40's and 50's when my Father/Uncles were growing and 60's when I was born would regularly play Texas A&M, Arkansas and Rice OOC along with 6 SEC games of which the 5 SEC teams I mentioned above along with Tulane were the most often played teams

So who would be LSU's top 3, not sure and I think in reality it could be any combination of several teams. Woody our AD when asked which 3 teams would LSU like to have in a 3-6 model as our permanents said Texas A&M, Ole Miss and Bama. Bama though wants to ensure Auburn/TENN (which I 100% understand from the historical rival perspective) so I don't think LSU will play Bama in the 3-6.

Given all the required final weekend games:

UF/FSU
UK/Louisville
SCAR/Clemson
UGA/GA. Tech
Bama/Auburn
Ole Miss/Miss. State
TENN/Vandy

That leaves 6 teams (LSU, Texas, Texas A&M, OU, MIZZOU, Arkansas).

If Texas and Texas A&M want to play on the final week, then that leaves LSU, OU, Arkansas and Mizzou.

Given LSU and OU were set for the final weekend, it looks like in a 3-6 model OU could replace Bama as LSU's 3rd permanent with Ole Miss and Texas A&M

Then you have on the final weekend

LSU/OU
Arkansas/MIZZOU

OU would then have Texas/LSU/MIZZOU as their permanent 3
LSU would have Ole Miss/Texas A&M/OU

Arkansas would get Texas which makes them happy and MIZZOU as thanksgiving weekend game and another as 3rd.

The only other alternative would be for OU/MIZZOU to play the last weekend then LSU plays Arkansas and our permanent 3 are Texas A&M/Ole Miss/Arkansas.

I do know this, the buzz about LSU/OU as the last game next year has the early feeling of being one of those games were it is 100k plus in the stands and another 30-50k on campus tailgating. The last time that happened was the Bama game in 2022 and several games during the 2019 run where it was crazy from the morning to midnight on campus (UF and A&M games) and even the Auburn game that year at 2:30 on CBS.