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SEC Conference Game SOS
Posted on 10/5/26 at 12:46 pm
Posted on 10/5/26 at 12:46 pm
The disparity in SOS within conference play in 2024 and 2025 was absolutely off the charts. I think the new 9-game scheduling format should help, but I think those schedules caused a lot of people to overhype some programs who were actually not very good.
For example:
Mike Elko at Texas A&M
Taking out games played against A&M, the Aggies' 2024/2025 opponents were just 45-67 (.402) in other conference games. This gave A&M the second easiest conference schedule in the league during those two seasons.
Here everyone thought Elko was this amazing coach and in reality he just took advantage of some of the easiest SEC schedules a team has ever played. They were immediately exposed by Miami in the playoff, and now they are being exposed this season after the SOS picks up a bit.
Lane Kiffin at Ole Miss
Not to be outdone by A&M, Kiffin played the easiest schedule in the SEC in his final two seasons at Ole Miss. the Rebels' opponents went 44-68 (.393) in other league games not involving Ole Miss those two years.
Did this set Golding up to fail massively? If that schedule evens out, everyone is going to assume Ole Miss fell off but in reality, Kiffin just took advantage of an insanely easy schedule for two years.
And did LSU pay a fortune for a great coach or did they overpay for a guy who just beat up on a bunch of bad opponents?
Time will tell.
SEC Conference SOS 2024/2025
*Combined records of opponents in conference games NOT involving that team
.580- Oklahoma (65-47)
.563- Miss State (63-49)
.563- South Carolina (63-49)
.554- Alabama (62-50)
.554- Florida (62-50)
.536- LSU (60-52)
.537- Kentucky (59-53)
.509- Georgia (57-55)
.509- Vanderbilt (57-55)
.500- Auburn (56-56)
.491- Arkansas (55-57)
.454- Texas (52-60)
.438- Tennessee (49-63)
.402- Texas A&M (45-67)
.393- Ole Miss (44-68)
For example:
Mike Elko at Texas A&M
Taking out games played against A&M, the Aggies' 2024/2025 opponents were just 45-67 (.402) in other conference games. This gave A&M the second easiest conference schedule in the league during those two seasons.
Here everyone thought Elko was this amazing coach and in reality he just took advantage of some of the easiest SEC schedules a team has ever played. They were immediately exposed by Miami in the playoff, and now they are being exposed this season after the SOS picks up a bit.
Lane Kiffin at Ole Miss
Not to be outdone by A&M, Kiffin played the easiest schedule in the SEC in his final two seasons at Ole Miss. the Rebels' opponents went 44-68 (.393) in other league games not involving Ole Miss those two years.
Did this set Golding up to fail massively? If that schedule evens out, everyone is going to assume Ole Miss fell off but in reality, Kiffin just took advantage of an insanely easy schedule for two years.
And did LSU pay a fortune for a great coach or did they overpay for a guy who just beat up on a bunch of bad opponents?
Time will tell.
SEC Conference SOS 2024/2025
*Combined records of opponents in conference games NOT involving that team
.580- Oklahoma (65-47)
.563- Miss State (63-49)
.563- South Carolina (63-49)
.554- Alabama (62-50)
.554- Florida (62-50)
.536- LSU (60-52)
.537- Kentucky (59-53)
.509- Georgia (57-55)
.509- Vanderbilt (57-55)
.500- Auburn (56-56)
.491- Arkansas (55-57)
.454- Texas (52-60)
.438- Tennessee (49-63)
.402- Texas A&M (45-67)
.393- Ole Miss (44-68)
Posted on 10/5/26 at 12:52 pm to AUTiger789
I see what you did. Nice.
Posted on 10/5/26 at 12:53 pm to AUTiger789
interesting data, I would add a little bit to the conclusion though. Ole Miss is a bottom half program (in terms of funding and recruiting). Aggie is a top half program. So, imo, Ole Miss beating up on an easier schedule is still more impressive than Aggie doing it. Plus factor in actually making a deep payoff run vs losing game 1.
Posted on 10/5/26 at 12:54 pm to notsince98
quote:
I see what you did. Nice.
Posted on 10/5/26 at 1:04 pm to theliontamer
quote:
Aggie is a top half program. So, imo, Ole Miss beating up on an easier schedule is still more impressive than Aggie doing it.
Fair point.
quote:
Plus factor in actually making a deep payoff run vs losing game 1.
"Deep run" is relative when your first game was against Tulane. Ole Miss should get a ton of credit for beating Georgia but that was Golding, not Kiffin.
Ole Miss' 2024 schedule was about as soft of a schedule an SEC team could possibly play. Not only did they get a fortunate conference draw, but they also played 4-8 Wake Forest out of conference and played a mediocre Duke team in a bowl game.
Rebs somehow played an entire season in the SEC plus two ACC teams and managed just one game against an opponent that finished in the Final AP Top 18. That's almost impossible to do.
This post was edited on 10/5/26 at 1:05 pm
Posted on 10/5/26 at 1:05 pm to AUTiger789
Wow. Good thing we're not in the SEC.
Posted on 10/5/26 at 1:10 pm to Drydock
The mark of a good coach is to beat the teams on their schedule.Where as the the opponents might be weak some coaches would still lose.
Posted on 10/5/26 at 1:15 pm to notsince98
quote:
I see what you did. Nice.
Maybe Drinkwitz can get a win this coming weekend.
Posted on 10/5/26 at 1:18 pm to AUTiger789
quote:
And did LSU pay a fortune for a great coach or did they overpay for a guy who just beat up on a bunch of bad opponents?
So far he has been worth every fn penny. And this train is just getting started. SEC fukkked.
Posted on 10/5/26 at 1:26 pm to AUTiger789
The SEC has just been down the last couple of years. UGA, Texas, and Bama were winning games and staying ranked, but they weren't 12-0 type teams. Ole Miss was probably the 3rd or 4th best sec program of that time period. Tennessee and Oklahoma were paper champions. LSU had talent but was losing 4+ games. Florida was bad, Auburn was bad, Aggie was beating up on bottom feeders. You had teams like Vandy and Mizzou who were "good".
Posted on 10/5/26 at 1:43 pm to TrueLefty
quote:
Maybe Drinkwitz can get a win this coming weekend.
I think you guys will look back and wish you had won the Starkvegas extravaganza when the dust settles. Austin Simmons is connecting all over the field and seems to be all that. 10-2 gets you in the playoffs this season, and it now feels like 9-3 with that schedule.
Posted on 10/5/26 at 1:45 pm to AUTiger789
This can't be.
The Rant assured me yesterday that Alabama has yet to play anyone with a pulse.
Stop spreading lies.
The Rant assured me yesterday that Alabama has yet to play anyone with a pulse.
Stop spreading lies.
Posted on 10/5/26 at 1:49 pm to TideSaint
quote:
This can't be.
The Rant assured me yesterday that Alabama has yet to play anyone with a pulse.
Stop spreading lies.
Those are the previous 2 years, not this year.
This year has been weaker than normal. I don't have updated SoS to include the past week yet, but through 4 games we were ranked #56 in SoS and well in the bottom half of the SEC.
Posted on 10/5/26 at 1:49 pm to theliontamer
quote:
Ole Miss is a bottom half program (in terms of funding and recruiting
Ole miss has a top 10 NIL and the #2 portal class faglord
Posted on 10/5/26 at 1:58 pm to geauxcoco
quote:
So far he has been worth every fn penny.
Beating Texas A&M is worth nine figures?
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