If the SEC has more teams ranked than the Big10 in last three years.

Also Pate had Connoly on stating that SEC has way more parity among good teams while the Big10 is top heavy. As in, they have three ranked ahead of SEC, but then SEC has the next top ten before a B10 shows up.

The Cream Puff Weekend was a strategic play by most SEC teams before Rivalry Weekend.

It was as close to a week off as you can get before the biggest game of your regular season, as well as the SECCG for two teams and maybe 4 for the playoff.

Now it appears to be gone.
And if you examine a schedule or two, ( I picked LSUs 2027 ) it is not strategic as placing UTSA before the Arkansas game. Week 1 is great to play NWState to get the kinks out. LSU has opened the seasons with enough marquee matchups to quell any static about scheduling.

You should be able to place your games wherever it helps, if you are the leading conference. Don't let the Big10 call you out when you have more ranked teams than they do.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------LSU for 2027: Frontloading those conference games in the first three weeks is not strategic. I get having NWState as week one, but you should attempt to place UTSA before the Arkansas game on Rivalry Weekend. Also focusing on keeping the week off before sec games is key.
Sat
Aug 28
vs.
Northwestern State
Baton Rouge, La. (Tiger Stadium)
TBA

Sat
Sep 4
vs.
Houston
Houston, Texas (NRG Stadium)
TBA

Sat
Sep 11
vs.
UTSA
Baton Rouge, La. (Tiger Stadium)
TBA

TBA
vs.
Missouri
Baton Rouge, La. (Tiger Stadium)

TBA
vs.
Oklahoma
Baton Rouge, La. (Tiger Stadium)

TBA
vs.
Ole Miss
Baton Rouge, La. (Tiger Stadium)

TBA
vs.
Vanderbilt
Baton Rouge, La. (Tiger Stadium)

TBA
at
Florida
Gainesville, Fla. (Ben Hill Griffin Stadium at Steve Spurrier-Florida Field)

TBA
at
Georgia
Athens, Ga. (Sanford Stadium)

TBA
at
South Carolina
Columbia, S.C. (Williams-Brice Stadium)

TBA
at
Texas A&M
---------------------UTSA should be here.
TBA
vs.
Arkansas
Baton Rouge, La. (Tiger Stadium)
Bryan-College Station, Texas (Kyle Field)

Eliminating these games altogether is the key, but don't let the big10's groaning about this make you change where you place them until they get more teams ranked.

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Posted by Violent Hip Swivel

Member since Aug 2023

9812 posts

Posted on 7/20/26 at 11:01 am to dstone12

Prior to last season I would've said that it's no big deal, because if you finish 10-2 in the SEC, you'll make the playoffs. And if you finish 9-3, you don't deserve to make the playoffs and don't have a pot to piss in. But then last season Vandy finished 10-2 and didn't make the playoffs.

Also will be interesting to see if the SEC gets dinged by the committee this season for having such a shitty bowl record last year and also going 1-3 in the CFP playoffs last seson against other conferences, with the one win coming against Tulane.

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Posted by bamameister

Right here, right now

Member since May 2016

17237 posts

Posted on 7/20/26 at 11:10 am to Violent Hip Swivel

quote:
Prior to last season I would've said that it's no big deal, because if you finish 10-2 in the SEC, you'll make the playoffs. And if you finish 9-3, you don't deserve to make the playoffs and don't have a pot to piss in. But then last season Vandy finished 10-2 and didn't make the playoffs.

With the same 12-team format, the SEC is going to instantly regret a 9-game bloodbath.

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Posted by Violent Hip Swivel

Member since Aug 2023

9812 posts

Posted on 7/20/26 at 11:18 am to bamameister

quote:
With the same 12-team format, the SEC is going to instantly regret a 9-game bloodbath.

You're probably right, but I still contend that no 9-3 team derserves to be in the playoff, regardless of how tough the schedule was. Twenty years ago, 9-3 wasn't even good enough to make the Citrus Bowl sometimes.

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Posted by bamameister

Right here, right now

Member since May 2016

17237 posts

Posted on 7/20/26 at 11:23 am to Violent Hip Swivel

quote:
You're probably right, but I still contend that no 9-3 team derserves to be in the playoff, regardless of how tough the schedule was. Twenty years ago, 9-3 wasn't even good enough to make the Citrus Bowl sometimes.

We just witnessed 2 years of teams hiding behind mediocre schedules, with mediocre conference depth and being rewarded handsomely. I just don't see anywhere to hide in the SEC.

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Posted by Violent Hip Swivel

Member since Aug 2023

9812 posts

Posted on 7/20/26 at 11:36 am to bamameister

quote:
I just don't see anywhere to hide in the SEC.

There seem to be some damn good hiding places in the SEC this season – Arkansas, Auburn, Mississippi State, Florida, maybe Vanderbilt again.

The quality of head coaches in the SEC isn't what it once was, and then as we've all been told 500 times by now, NIL has spread the talent out more across the country.

This post was edited on 7/20/26 at 11:37 am

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Posted by bamameister

Right here, right now

Member since May 2016

17237 posts

Posted on 7/20/26 at 11:51 am to Violent Hip Swivel

quote:
There seem to be some damn good hiding places in the SEC this season – Arkansas, Auburn, Mississippi State, Florida, maybe Vanderbilt again.

The quality of head coaches in the SEC isn't what it once was, and then as we've all been told 500 times by now, NIL has spread the talent out more across the country.

Vandy is making your point the hard way. They deserve a wait-and-see. The talent will be in the bottom tier of the SEC, and new coaching will immediately unlock it. Again, let's see who hits the coaching lotto. In the meantime, even these teams can defend themselves on any given Saturday. I'm not going to ask you to name the head coaches in the B1G and Big 12 and how many bluebloods the lower tiers brought in. The MVPs in both conferences are without a doubt the schedule makers.

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