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

I like this better than any of the other groupings. If Bama is going to play LSU then drop Auburn or TN but sticking any team even Auburn with Bama Georgia and Florida for rivalry sake is just stupid. You’ve hamstrung that team before season even starts.

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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.

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It's still tied for 17th most played matchup of the 120 possible matchups in the conference today.

Check out my contribution to picking the teams I took 19 of the 23 most played matchups then had to start cutting corners.

I chose to go LSU vs A&M instead of LSU vs Arkansas even though Arkansas has played LSU 7 more times than A&M. I had to give your Gators the Cocks because they have played you more than any other team than UGA in the conference plus proximity this basically leaves you and UGA in the same boat AUB + SC + WLOCP. The 3 reaches were UK v MIZ share a border but have only played 14 times, MIZ v SC the two hardest teams to match up should play each other, ARK v OU the border war + campus proximity means if I'm going to force a new rivalry this is it plus Switzer + Jerry Jones I'm sure the hate can flow quickly.

The first 19 games feel unassailable as they have played anywhere from 76-129 games over the years and are either in state or border wars. It's just finishing out the last 5. I could easily be talked into giving A&M to OU and Ark to LSU. UK + Miz is good from geography & competitive balance.

Why does everyone thing we have to keep Florida?
LSU's permenant three should be Ole Miss, Arky, and one of the Texas teams.

I could live with this. Id prefer our games to be border teams with history.