LetItBe

Strength of schedule often gets ranked in the preseason, which makes no sense. It should always be assessed after the season is over. And, with the CFP being the goal, all that really matters in that regard are losses.

With that in mind, the types of things that typically go into SOS rankings such as the relative strength of all the teams on your schedule, have less meaning. Really, is there any functional difference between playing a 3-9 G5 school vs a 9-3 G5 school? The reality for SEC teams is that both games are expected wins. What really matters is how many elite teams are on your schedule. These are the games that you really stand a chance of losing and are going to make or break your team's chances of making the CFP.

So, looking back at the regular season, let's look at how many elite or CFP-worthy teams were on every SEC team's schedule. I count CFP-worthy as any SEC team finishing 6-2 or better in the conference (SEC Standings) or any other team currently in the CFP Rankings top 12.

Num CFP-worthy opponents:

5, Auburn, Florida, LSU, South Carolina, Texas
4, Arkansas, Kentucky, MSU, Mizzou, Tennessee
3, Alabama, Oklahoma,
2, Georgia, Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Vanderbilt

Now for the rest of the CFP rankings top 12:

2, Notre Dame
1, BYU, Indiana, Miami, Ohio State, Oregon, Texas Tech

It's going to be like this every year going forward in the SEC, especially since the conference is moving to a nine game schedule. There are going to be so many tough games on everybody's schedule. Meanwhile the other "power" conferences have it easy.

FWIW, Mike Leach and Eli Drinkwitz never played any sport in college, either, so it's not necessarily an indicator of how good a coach will end up being.

Morris was an awful hire. Pittman was actually better than I expected. I think Silverfield is better than both of those guys, but the real issues going forward is that Arkansas is playing with one arm tied behind its back in the NIL era. It's going to be tough sledding in Fayetteville for any coach competing in today's SEC.

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What has LSU done in this that is shady?

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Trying to make up BS excuses for why they shouldn't have to pay Brian Kelly his full buyout, as stated in his contract, perhaps?

Sheesh you people have short memories.

Shady, defined

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he’s already despised

Season ticket holders for decades are not renewing and boosters are withdrawing all contributions until he and Stricklin are fired

He’s a dead man walking

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Exhibit A on how to implode your own program. See: Auburn with Harsin...then Freeze.

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If UGA were to lose to Bama (highly unlikely based on history)

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I think you mean likely

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LSU is a blueblood. Top 5 college job

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Uhh...no.

If teams can be excluded from the playoffs for losing their starting QB (see: FSU a few years ago), they why wouldn't the same apply for losing a team losing its head coach and several of his staff?

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Auburn worked in the dark and made the best hire of the cycle.

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That's highly debatable.

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Good contract on Florida's end.

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No doubt, and probably a better coach than Auburn is getting. Not sold on Golesh at all.

Yes, the Florida loss will keep them out, but otherwise Texas had a hell of a good year. They played 5 CFP-worthy teams (OSU, OU, Vandy, Georgia, A&M) and went 3-2 vs them. Very tough schedule that only a handful of teams nationwide would have navigated any better.