re: A Different List of Permanent Opponents: Geography, Rivalries, and Balance

Not bad at all

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LSU fans won't admit it but they've created a pretty good rivalry with the Ags.

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Nope. It isn't the same as having Barn. LSU vs Auburn were some great games. Even though Barn is down right now, they'll be back. LSU vs Bama, Florida and Barn is what needs to be.

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Bama: Aub, Tenn, State
Ark: LSU, Mizzou, Texas
Aub: Bama, UGA, State
Fla: UGA, LSU, Carolina
UGA: Aub, Fla, Carolina
Ken: Tenn, Vandy, Carolina
LSU: Ark, OM, Fla
OM: LSU, State, Vandy
State: OM, Bama, Aub
Mizzou: Ark, OU, A&M
OU: Texas, Mizzou, A&M
Carolina: UGA, Fla, Ken
Tenn, Bama, Vandy, Ken
Texas: OU, A&M, Ark
A&M: Texas, OU, Mizzou
Vandy: Tenn, Ken, OM

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The hardest schools to place are SC & MIZ so I started off by pairing them even though it makes no sense overall but eventually you're going to have to lose somewhere... SC is a specifically unique case of no SEC instate rival and only 1 SEC border war (GA) so SC & GA was decision 2. Florida only shares borders with GA & AL so I gave them AUB & UGA and rounded out SC that way. MIZ clearly they share a border and conference rivalry with OU plus they have played 97 games so I gave MIZ the game with UK. I then manufactured a rivalry game between OU & ARK because the closest campus to ARK is OU and the closest campus to OU is ARK so if we are going to create something this seems like it. From there I just went via history with a preference to instate/border/proximity

AUB-UGA 129
UK-TENN 120
OU-TEX 120
TENN-VAN 119
MSST-MISS 119
TA&M-TEX 119
LSU-MSST 117
LSU-MISS 112
ALA-MSST 107 - State off the board
ALA-TENN 106 - Tenn off the board
FLA-UGA 102
MISS-VAN 98 - Miss off the board
UK-VAN 97 - Van off the board
MIZ-OU 97
AUB-ALA 89 - Ala off the board
ALA-LSU 89 - This one sucks to lose
ALA-VAN 84 - Both teams off the board
AUB-FLA 84
UGA-VAN 83 - Van off the board
ARK-TA&M 81
ARK-TEX 80
UGA-UK 78 See: SCar note
ALA-UGA 74 Ala off the board
ARK-MISS 71 Miss off the board
FLA-LSU 70 See: SCar note

Net result was this...

ALA: MSST, TENN, AUB Sucks to not keep the LSU game but MSST has +18 games + border
ARK: TA&M, TEX, OU They don't have a rivalry with OU historically but OU is the closest campus to ARK and vice versa
AUB: UGA, ALA, FLA crazy draw but hard to fight with the choices based on history
FLA: UGA, AUB, SC keeps best two rivalries and SC needs frens
UGA: AUB, FLA, SC same w/ FL
UK: TENN, VAN, MIZ keeps best two rivalries and MO is the only other border state
LSU: MSST, MISS, TA&M the only question is do you give LSU ARK or A&M then ARK or A&M get OU that literally is the only real debate IMHO
MSST: MISS, LSU, ALA tough draw but too much history in all 3 cases
MIZ: OU, UK, SC - MIZ-SC is the bad beat in terms of geography/proximity but they are the two toughest to place otherwise
OU: TEX, MIZ, ARK - Either ARK or A&M but I went with ARK on proximity
MISS: MSST, LSU, VAN - Not much to argue here
SC: UGA, FLA, MIZ - UGA is only border and MIZ is the wart
TENN: UK, VAN, ALA - Too much history in all 3 cases
TA&M: TEX, ARK, LSU - Either LSU or OU but they have way more history with LSU and I'm pretty sure LSU would want to commit seppuku with Mississippi + Arkansas
TEX: OU, TA&M, ARK - the most no brainer 3 of the entire log
VAN: TENN, MISS, UK - pretty close to 2nd in the no-brainer list

In the end every single game features either in-state or border war except for SC + FLA & SC + MIZ

Considering SC has one team with a border they were always going to be on the list twice. This does have one manufactured from thin air rivalry but proximity will probably make OU and ARK get into the hate cycle pretty quickly.

nm

Why do people keep acting like OU and A&M are a thing? There is nothing there, Neither of those schools care about each other. They were only in the Big 12 for a brief time together. I think people just stare at a map and think this is a rivalry.

Texas and Arky have a long history with A&M so that makes sense. And A&M has a far longer history with LSU than OU by a very wide margin.

Im also sure OU would rather have a new rivalry with a traditional SEC school to build on rather then keep alive a fake one with A&M. And I am sure A&M would much prefer LSU anyway.

I realize this realignment will make some strange bedfellows and that cant be helped. Just stop pretending this will ever be a rivalry of any kind.

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Ken: Tenn, Vandy, Carolina

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This is exactly the 3 I want Kentucky to get.

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Cultish Homosexual Clown program. We want no part of that BS.

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See - this is why LSU/A&M needs to be the game.

The opposite of love isn’t hate - it’s indifference.

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A Different List of Permanent Opponents: Geography, Rivalries, and Balance

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If you are weighing the first two the most, why is Florida not playing Auburn? They are geographically the closes school to UF, and they are our oldest rival. We also played more games against them than anyone else before SEC expansion killed the rivalry in 2002.

For UF's 3rd game, pick between Auburn and Tennessee. Nothing else is acceptable.

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Auburn and Florida should play way more often than they do. Now they are not permanent rivals because there is no history.

Auburn should have moved to the East when Missouri was added.

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No history?? They are our oldest rival. Before they split us up in 2002 we played them more than anyone, including Georgia.