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In Favor Of Scrapping Permanent Cross Division Games?

Posted on 8/16/19 at 9:56 am
Posted by USCrown
Member since Feb 2009
18 posts
Posted on 8/16/19 at 9:56 am
Let me preface this by saying I respect the historical significance of some of these matchups, but there has to be a better way of scheduling so teams from the opposite division play more than once or twice a decade. Ideally, cycling through the entire conference every 4 yrs would provide each graduating class an opportunity to compete against every team in the conference.

Current Format:

Auburn vs. Georgia
Kentucky vs. Mississippi State
Florida vs. LSU
Alabama vs. Tennessee
Ole Miss vs. Vanderbilt
Arkansas vs. Missouri
South Carolina vs. Texas A&M

I get Aub/UGA and Bama/UT for obvious reasons. Maybe UF/LSU? I've even enjoyed a few of the Ole Miss and Vandy games over the years. Although this current format preserves some games, some very good games that used to occur regularly over the years have been lost. Also hurts new rivalries due to lack of playing each other regularly. Are you guys absolutely locked into your permanent rival?

A few ways we could increase rotation:

*Increase the conference schedule to 9 or 10 games. May hurt OOC scheduling, but does ensure more meaningful games, better rotation. Would give fans/tv the most entertainment value for their money.

*Scrap divisions/permanent rivals. Stay at 8 conference games, but increase rotation. Allow historical rivals to schedule each other as an out of conference game (doesn't count towards sec record, but preserves matchup on occasional years teams aren't on SEC schedule)

*Increase regular season to 13-15 games. Add in additional bye weeks, and go round robin. Teams are already playing 13-15 games. Shouldn't be much of a problem for the 99% of teams that don't make the playoffs.

Any ideas?



This post was edited on 8/16/19 at 10:32 am
Posted by Leto II
Arrakis
Member since Dec 2018
21192 posts
Posted on 8/16/19 at 9:58 am to
quote:

I get Aub/UGA and Bama/UT

I may be mistaken, but these seem like the only teams that are really invested in the idea. I'd rather see the 9 came SEC schedule and get some more variety.
Posted by BoerneAg
Hill Country, God's Country
Member since Apr 2019
2329 posts
Posted on 8/16/19 at 10:00 am to
South carolina just doesn't move the needle for me. I'd much rather play the other teams more.
Posted by Vecchio Cane
Ivory Tower
Member since Jul 2016
17712 posts
Posted on 8/16/19 at 10:00 am to
Fine with me. Do away with divisions and just play a rotating 10 game SEC schedule. Alternate Home/Away with teams in back to back years
Posted by LouisvilleKat
Member since Oct 2016
18187 posts
Posted on 8/16/19 at 10:01 am to
I don't think either Kentucky or Miss State fans see each other as a game of major importance, well other than being an SEC matchup.
Posted by Farmer1906
The Woodlands, TX
Member since Apr 2009
50076 posts
Posted on 8/16/19 at 10:02 am to
It's fun to beat USCe yearly, but I would prefer not to wait 14 years between road trips to the other SECE opponents.
Posted by droliver
Member since Nov 2012
971 posts
Posted on 8/16/19 at 10:03 am to
Would have no issue with dropping permanent rivals and divisions. Just take the top 2 to the SECCG
Posted by Farmer1906
The Woodlands, TX
Member since Apr 2009
50076 posts
Posted on 8/16/19 at 10:03 am to
I don't think we'll move to 9 games until the playoff format is changed to allow more teams or puts more value on SOS.
Posted by SmokeTide
Gulf Coast Alabama
Member since Nov 2015
5287 posts
Posted on 8/16/19 at 10:04 am to
Yet Auburn and Alabama have been the only programs supporting a 9 game SEC.
Posted by dhuck20
SCLSU Fan
Member since Oct 2012
20282 posts
Posted on 8/16/19 at 10:04 am to
Yeah it is asinine this will be the first time we play A&M since they joined 7 years later we won’t go to College Station until 2024, 12 years later.
Posted by BoerneAg
Hill Country, God's Country
Member since Apr 2019
2329 posts
Posted on 8/16/19 at 10:05 am to
If you don’t support a 9 game SEC schedule, you are scared. There is no other legitimate excuse. You’re a pussy.
Posted by EasterEgg
New Orleans Metro
Member since Sep 2018
4810 posts
Posted on 8/16/19 at 10:06 am to
How about moving Auburn and Alabama to the East. Then we can scrap the permanent cross-division games altogether, and AU-UGA, UA-UT, and AU-UA can keep their games.

I would love to see an NFL-styled game based on last year's standings. Each 1 plays the other 1, 2 vs 2, and so forth until you get to the toilet bowl 7 vs 7. Each season would then feature a rematch of the previous season's SECCG, thereby lowering the chance of a repeat SECCG matchup and increasing the overall parity of the league.
Posted by twk
Wichita Falls, Texas
Member since Jul 2011
2102 posts
Posted on 8/16/19 at 10:06 am to
Get rid of divisions. Keep the 8 game schedule. Like basketball, each team has 3 opponents that it plays every year, and you rotate the other 10, five one year, the other five the next.

The permanent opponents would be something like this:

Bama: Auburn, State, UT
Arkansas: Mizzou, A&M, LSU
Auburn: Bama UF, UGA
Florida: Auburn, UGA, USC
UGA: USC, UF, Auburn
Kentucky: Mizzou, UT, MSU
LSU: A&M, Ole Miss, Arkansas
Ole Miss: State, LSU, Vandy
Miss. State: Ole Miss, Bama, UK
Missouri: Arkansas, A&M, UK
South Carolina: UGA, UF, Vandy
Tenn: Vandy, UK, Bama
A&M: LSU, Arkansas, Mizzou
Vandy: UT, Ole Miss, USC

You'd need a slight tweak of the NCAA rule on championship games, but they did it for the Big XII, so it would be no problem. It would eliminate the divisional imbalance that has resulted in championship game mismatches. Would increase the possibility of a rematch? I don't think so, because you'd be saying that the team who lost the regular season matchup is a game better than the rest of the league, so that probably wouldn't happen too often (no more than it does with the current arrangement).
Posted by SmokeTide
Gulf Coast Alabama
Member since Nov 2015
5287 posts
Posted on 8/16/19 at 10:13 am to
quote:

If you don’t support a 9 game SEC schedule, you are scared. There is no other legitimate excuse. You’re a pussy.


Exactly but people are more worried about not having to play someone every year. 9 game Sec will balance it out more, possibly facilitate an Auburn and Mizzou swap.
Posted by Rex Feral
Member since Jan 2014
11225 posts
Posted on 8/16/19 at 10:21 am to
quote:

Get rid of divisions. Keep the 8 game schedule. Like basketball, each team has 3 opponents that it plays every year, and you rotate the other 10, five one year, the other five the next.

The permanent opponents would be something like this:

Bama: Auburn, State, UT
Arkansas: Mizzou, A&M, LSU
Auburn: Bama UF, UGA
Florida: Auburn, UGA, USC
UGA: USC, UF, Auburn
Kentucky: Mizzou, UT, MSU
LSU: A&M, Ole Miss, Arkansas
Ole Miss: State, LSU, Vandy
Miss. State: Ole Miss, Bama, UK
Missouri: Arkansas, A&M, UK
South Carolina: UGA, UF, Vandy
Tenn: Vandy, UK, Bama
A&M: LSU, Arkansas, Mizzou
Vandy: UT, Ole Miss, USC

I'd like to see Ole Miss back on our schedule every year.
Posted by CGSC Lobotomy
Member since Sep 2011
79821 posts
Posted on 8/16/19 at 10:22 am to
We still need to be able to jizz on their precious capital every other year.
Posted by Gatorbait2008
Member since Aug 2015
22953 posts
Posted on 8/16/19 at 10:26 am to
Naw. We want LSU every year. Far to good of a game to get away from.

Just keep them.
Posted by ConeHawk
Member since Dec 2018
1961 posts
Posted on 8/16/19 at 10:27 am to
I agree... Love playing UF every year.
Posted by bamagreycoat
Member since Oct 2012
5749 posts
Posted on 8/16/19 at 10:30 am to
In my opinion it’s not fair for LSU to have a strong UF every season and Auburn to have a strong UGA. It’s not fair for Tennessee to have Bama every season. I rather scrap permanent cross divisional games and swap them out evenly. I wanna see Bama play UF, UGA, and South Carolina more than once a decade too.
Posted by LouisvilleKat
Member since Oct 2016
18187 posts
Posted on 8/16/19 at 10:31 am to
quote:

It's fun to beat USCe yearly, but I would prefer not to wait 14 years between road trips to the other SECE opponents.
This explains the state capitals and Governors mansions thread the other day. Aggies scouting in the offseason for the next jar-fest.
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