Started By
Message
Flex 9 schedule to protect players and get the best SEC teams into CFB
Posted on 12/7/25 at 3:47 pm
Posted on 12/7/25 at 3:47 pm
The SEC is moving to a 9-game conference schedule. Coaches are concerned about too many matchups leading into the 12-team playoff especially if a team ends up playing 10 (9 + SEC championship) SEC games + 4 playoff games.
This idea keeps the schedule at 12 games total before the playoff, but builds the SEC Championship into the 9th SEC game, and fixes tie-breakers ON THE FIELD.
It also creates an extra bye week for teams making the playoff because they’re not adding an extra SEC game on top.
Here’s how the season would look:
Weeks 1–10
6 scheduled SEC games (except for SEC rivals)
Out-of-conference games sprinkled in
Rivalries that are also SEC games remain locked into the schedule
Week 11 — Flex Matchups to Sort Standings
Teams are ranked by SEC record. Matchups are set to reduce logjams and position multiple SEC teams for the playoff. We don’t force 1 vs 2 yet — we keep them away from each other to help maximize playoff bids.
Examples could be:
1 vs 5, 2 vs 6, 3 vs 7, 4 vs 8, etc.
This helps separate the standings fairly without top teams beating each other up too early.
Week 12 — Rivalry Week (unchanged)
Iron Bowl, Egg Bowl, Texas-A&M, Georgia-Florida, etc.
OOC rivalries (UGA-GT, UK-Louisville) stay here.
Week 13 — Championship and Final SEC Games
Everyone plays their 9th SEC game here.
Matchups based on updated standings:
#1 vs #2 ? SEC Championship
(Winner = conference champ, likely Top-4 seed and playoff bye)
#3 vs #4 ? Fighting for easier playoff spot.
#5 vs #8 + #6 vs #7 ? Still meaningful SEC games
(borderline teams still fighting their way into the playoff)
#9–#16 SEC teams still play SEC opponents too, so every team ends the year with exactly 9 SEC games.
Why this works:
Fixes tie-breakers in real games, not committee rooms
Protects rivalries permanently
Adds one extra bye week for rest and recovery
Better chance the SEC gets 5–6 playoff teams every year
Coaches can’t argue against player safety because the schedule never exceeds 9 SEC games
Bottom line:
The playoff basically starts in early November — but without punishing the teams good enough to make the playoff.
Thoughts? Would you support something like this as a fan?
This idea keeps the schedule at 12 games total before the playoff, but builds the SEC Championship into the 9th SEC game, and fixes tie-breakers ON THE FIELD.
It also creates an extra bye week for teams making the playoff because they’re not adding an extra SEC game on top.
Here’s how the season would look:
Weeks 1–10
6 scheduled SEC games (except for SEC rivals)
Out-of-conference games sprinkled in
Rivalries that are also SEC games remain locked into the schedule
Week 11 — Flex Matchups to Sort Standings
Teams are ranked by SEC record. Matchups are set to reduce logjams and position multiple SEC teams for the playoff. We don’t force 1 vs 2 yet — we keep them away from each other to help maximize playoff bids.
Examples could be:
1 vs 5, 2 vs 6, 3 vs 7, 4 vs 8, etc.
This helps separate the standings fairly without top teams beating each other up too early.
Week 12 — Rivalry Week (unchanged)
Iron Bowl, Egg Bowl, Texas-A&M, Georgia-Florida, etc.
OOC rivalries (UGA-GT, UK-Louisville) stay here.
Week 13 — Championship and Final SEC Games
Everyone plays their 9th SEC game here.
Matchups based on updated standings:
#1 vs #2 ? SEC Championship
(Winner = conference champ, likely Top-4 seed and playoff bye)
#3 vs #4 ? Fighting for easier playoff spot.
#5 vs #8 + #6 vs #7 ? Still meaningful SEC games
(borderline teams still fighting their way into the playoff)
#9–#16 SEC teams still play SEC opponents too, so every team ends the year with exactly 9 SEC games.
Why this works:
Fixes tie-breakers in real games, not committee rooms
Protects rivalries permanently
Adds one extra bye week for rest and recovery
Better chance the SEC gets 5–6 playoff teams every year
Coaches can’t argue against player safety because the schedule never exceeds 9 SEC games
Bottom line:
The playoff basically starts in early November — but without punishing the teams good enough to make the playoff.
Thoughts? Would you support something like this as a fan?
6
Posted on 12/7/25 at 3:49 pm to ryanthe4aces
quote:
Week 12 — Rivalry Week (unchanged)
Iron Bowl, Egg Bowl, Texas-A&M, Georgia-Florida, etc.
OOC rivalries (UGA-GT, UK-Louisville) stay here.
Posted on 12/7/25 at 3:50 pm to GoGators1995
ya i had ChatGPT edit my idea and missed that. What do you think of the idea?
Posted on 12/7/25 at 3:51 pm to ryanthe4aces
"OOC rivalry games stay on that weekend except for UF/FSU."
Posted on 12/7/25 at 3:52 pm to GoGators1995
Man, we have to play Florida and Tech the same day? That is some intense rivalry action.
No, the cocktail party stays where it is. Nobody wants to tailgate in December
No, the cocktail party stays where it is. Nobody wants to tailgate in December
Posted on 12/7/25 at 3:53 pm to Dawgs2122
What do you think of the concept. Details can be worked out. I messed up on the UGA and FL games.
Posted on 12/7/25 at 3:53 pm to Dawgs2122
I guess UF/UGA will be at noon in Jax and then UF/FSU and UGA/GT will be night games the same day.
Posted on 12/7/25 at 3:54 pm to GoGators1995
ya. Obviously i messed that detail up. What do you think of the rest of the idea?
Posted on 12/7/25 at 7:51 pm to ryanthe4aces
quote:
What do you think of the concept. Details can be worked out. I messed up on the UGA and FL games.
Look at the up/down votes for your answer
Posted on 12/7/25 at 7:52 pm to ryanthe4aces
Nah, we good
Posted on 12/7/25 at 7:54 pm to ryanthe4aces
TLDNR
This is the last year for 5 SEC teams in the playoffs due to the 9 game conf schedule.
Should Sanky be fired ? Can he be sued ?
This is the last year for 5 SEC teams in the playoffs due to the 9 game conf schedule.
Should Sanky be fired ? Can he be sued ?
Posted on 12/7/25 at 7:59 pm to ryanthe4aces
The idea of incorporating the sec championship into the ninth game isn’t bad. The conference will never do it but it isn’t bad.
If we are going to do that, why not spend the first five weeks playing scheduled games (including rivalry games) that are used to seed for a 16 team sec playoff that culminates in a championship? Once you lose you enter the losers bracket. Teams end up playing for every spot in the conference.
If we are going to do that, why not spend the first five weeks playing scheduled games (including rivalry games) that are used to seed for a 16 team sec playoff that culminates in a championship? Once you lose you enter the losers bracket. Teams end up playing for every spot in the conference.
Posted on 12/7/25 at 8:03 pm to ryanthe4aces
I had an argument on another board about Notre Dame and Oregon being overrated. I told them both Tenn. and Mizzou are still very good wins, they just have to play great teams, they said those teams are no good. So, I spelled it out fir them, whilst doing so I looked at Oregon's schedule in full, how in the hell do they have the #5 seed over Ole Miss or Texas AM ?
My pasted rebut in part below...
They (Tenn. & Mizzou) play in the SEC, and play Georgia, Bama., Vandy is great this year, an ADDED POWER in the SEC now, and Oklahoma, that is three top 10 teams, did Ohio State play any top 10 teams? Oregon has one descent win all year over USC why are the 5th? They beat Wisc. 21-7 Bama beat Wisc. 38-11.
Tenn. lost by 6 to OU, and 3 to Georgia in a game they should have won. Bama beat them by 17, BUT just before half while on the 2 yard line they threw a pick 6, a 14 point swing. So, you saying Tenn. is no good is just plain dingy tbh. They just play much better teams.
Mizzou lost to OU, Bama by 3, to Vandy by 7 and to Texas AM. Four top 15 schools, so if they had Oregon's easy schedule of.........
Montana St., Oregon St., Wisc., Penn St. who they beat by 6 in two OT's, Iowa who they beat 18-16 with a FG at the very end, Oklahoma St., Northwestern, Rutgers, Minn. Washington, USC and Indiana who they lost to, then Mizzou might be 10-2.
I can not for the life of me figure out why they are higher than Ole Miss or Texas AM. One top 16 win, that is it.
My pasted rebut in part below...
They (Tenn. & Mizzou) play in the SEC, and play Georgia, Bama., Vandy is great this year, an ADDED POWER in the SEC now, and Oklahoma, that is three top 10 teams, did Ohio State play any top 10 teams? Oregon has one descent win all year over USC why are the 5th? They beat Wisc. 21-7 Bama beat Wisc. 38-11.
Tenn. lost by 6 to OU, and 3 to Georgia in a game they should have won. Bama beat them by 17, BUT just before half while on the 2 yard line they threw a pick 6, a 14 point swing. So, you saying Tenn. is no good is just plain dingy tbh. They just play much better teams.
Mizzou lost to OU, Bama by 3, to Vandy by 7 and to Texas AM. Four top 15 schools, so if they had Oregon's easy schedule of.........
Montana St., Oregon St., Wisc., Penn St. who they beat by 6 in two OT's, Iowa who they beat 18-16 with a FG at the very end, Oklahoma St., Northwestern, Rutgers, Minn. Washington, USC and Indiana who they lost to, then Mizzou might be 10-2.
I can not for the life of me figure out why they are higher than Ole Miss or Texas AM. One top 16 win, that is it.
Posted on 12/7/25 at 8:33 pm to ryanthe4aces
quote:
Thoughts?
I assume your flex week would avoid rematches from earlier in the season. This is going to cause some issues some years. Say your proposed 1 v 5 matchup has already played; you have a rematch or have to reseed everyone. Also, you are guaranteeing a really tough end to the season for your best teams with the top half of the conference playing each other, followed by their rival, followed by another really tough game. I’m not sure that is going to help position more teams for the playoffs as you are guaranteed to have more losses for half of your better teams.
With this year as an example, you’d have Ole Miss, OU and a&M all risking another loss. In the Sooners case, it would probably knock them out with a loss.
I like the flex schedule idea, but think you need some tweaks.
Page 1 of 1
Popular
Back to top
Follow SECRant for SEC Football News