Jon Joseph No. 1 Share Posted March 21 The SEC is not only staying with eight conference games and four out-of-conference (OOC) games in 2025, it is duplicating the same schedule as 2024 with road games switched to home games and vice versa. Eight conference games will give the SEC a playoff leg up; especially, if every SEC schedule is determined by the PO Committee to be 'brutal.' On the field of play, this is not the case. For example, in 2024 in a conference likely to have eight teams ranked in the preseason AP Poll, Missouri OOC and in-conference will play two games versus the preseason top 25. Oklahoma has six top-25 teams on its schedule and is likely to have the same number in 2025. Missouri, Ole Miss, and Tennessee have the easiest SEC schedules in 2024. Alabama, Oklahoma, and Florida have the most difficult strength-of-schedule; why are the Tide, Sooners, and Gators putting up with this? Oregon plays Michigan and Ohio State in 2024 and misses both in 2025. The 2024 schedule being repeated in 2025 in the B1G would have given Ohio State a back-to-back scheduling advantage. Would Michigan have agreed to a repeat? In a 16-team conference playing the same eight teams in back-to-back years means that a number of a team's players will miss a conference opponent before running out of eligibility. The B1G in this regard has done a far better job of scheduling through 2028. But if the SEC in 2024 and 2025 dominate the playoff field, should the B1G stay with nine conference games? The 2024 scheduling format is, at least in part, a ploy by the SEC to be paid more by ESPN for the extra conference game. Even if the B1G decided to go with eight conference games would the existing media deal with Fox, CBS, and NBC allow for this change to occur without a revenue cut for B1G teams? With a playoff, every conference should be on the same page in scheduling and Notre Dame should be playing 13 regular season games, with ten of the games versus P4 opponents. There's too much money involved to allow the ACC and the SEC to game the system by playing only eight conference games. 1 2 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Joseph Author No. 2 Share Posted March 22 I promise I am not hunting for clicks. But I am surprised that no one else is taking umbrage at this scheduling ploy by the SEC. In 2024, I will not be surprised to, of course, see the SEC champ with a top 4 seed and a first-round bye. OK, this is expected. But in addition to the bye, three out of the four first-round games, at least, are likely to be played on SEC home fields. Looking at myriad preseason top 25 polls, Oregon is the only SEC team routinely ranked to where the Ducks would be the 5 to 8 seed and have an opening game in Eugene. Come 2025 in the SEC, rinse and repeat. I hope B1G Commish Tony Petitti is not being suckered by the olive branch extended by Sankey. Petitti on behalf of his conference has to call this garbage out. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Fischer Administrator No. 3 Share Posted March 22 It is crazy...a set up to hurt the other Big-2 Conference when we all should be going to 10 conference games. Can you imagine the revenue at Autzen if we expanded 12,000 seats and had FIVE B1G games there each year? 1 Mr. FishDuck Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MicroBurst61 No. 4 Share Posted March 22 But of course they are. Got to set the "precedent" of having just one more SEC team in the twelve, soon to be 14/16, team playoff. What better way then to guarantee you will have one less loss on the loss column while "9 conference game" teams are meeting each other. Half picking up another loss, just one week before "rivalry" weekend! Until any conference is actually punished via rankings, seedings, or playoff selections, for scheduling only eight in-conference games; or rewarding 9 conference game teams instead, there is no incentive to even the playing field. Almost, almost as pitiful as the Pig2! Just more of the same ole' SEC ! 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TexasDuck No. 5 Share Posted March 22 They have paid absolutely no penalty for this strategy. Far from it, it has paid off handsomely. Why would they change now? 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nevada Dawg No. 6 Share Posted March 22 As an SEC partisan, I absolutely hate the 1-7 8-game slate made even worse by repeating the same opponents in consecutive years. There is no guarantee that this will extend beyond the 2025 year, but why repeat the same opponents anyhow. Were it to persist with eventual rotating of yearly opponents, two traditional rivalries per team will not occur every year. I am forced to conclude that Jon J. may be right about this being a ploy to extract more $$$ from ESPN to schedule a 9th conference game. I suspect that a fair number of SEC partisans are going to have sour feelings about the SEC scheduling model. This complete recycling of opponents really stinks in my humble opinion! 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Fischer Administrator No. 7 Share Posted March 22 On 3/21/2024 at 10:23 PM, Nevada Dawg said: complete recycling of opponents really stinks in my humble opinion! It is not about that; you have a massive built-in advantage that everyone can see a mile away. Mr. FishDuck Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
2002duck No. 8 Share Posted March 22 This situation is difficult for me to evaluate. I don't blame the SEC for scheduling only 8 conference games. If they can get away with it and make a lot of money...then good for them, I guess? But is it noble? To schedule more SEC conference games, or not to schedule: that is the question: Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, Or to take arms against a sea of troubles. 1 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SmithRiverDuck No. 9 Share Posted March 22 On 3/21/2024 at 10:48 PM, Charles Fischer said: It is not about that; you have a massive built-in advantage that everyone can see a mile away. Oh come on! It's not like all the other games are against Furman..........Oh wait, all the other games are against "Furman".........Crap! But they are willing to play games against, say, Tulsa............You know, as long as the games are in Tuscaloosa........... 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Joseph Author No. 10 Share Posted March 22 On 3/22/2024 at 4:32 AM, 2002duck said: This situation is difficult for me to evaluate. I don't blame the SEC for scheduling only 8 conference games. If they can get away with it and make a lot of money...then good for them, I guess? But is it noble? To schedule more SEC conference games, or not to schedule: that is the question: Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, Or to take arms against a sea of troubles. 'Something is rotten in the State of Dixie!' 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JabbaNoBargain No. 11 Share Posted March 22 (edited) It’s probably going to be slightly less egregious with the expanded playoff. Of course that boils down to the selection process and if it genuinely uses SOS. They got away with it to tremendous advantage with the 4 team playoff. Only way they’ll stop is if SOS starts to hurt them, which it probably won’t. Blame the conferences that voluntarily put themselves at a disadvantage…they're apparently more concerned with conference championships than national titles. Edited March 22 by JabbaNoBargain Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoGaDawg No. 12 Share Posted March 22 On 3/22/2024 at 2:00 PM, Jon Joseph said: 'Something is rotten in the State of Dixie!' I see where you guys are coming from but what the SEC is doing isn’t so dumb. I’m ok with it for now. My Dawgs will play 8 SEC games and 4 non conf games. GA plays GA Tech every year and obviously they have been down. But they also try to play one very strong opponent from another conf every year. Like Oregon or Clemson. Last year would have been Texas. So we play 2 cupcake out of conf games. That’s pretty smart to me. And it helps some smaller universities financially. For the time being SOS isn’t going to be an issue, but staying healthy is always an issue. Getting reserves playing time is also important. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Joseph Author No. 13 Share Posted March 22 On 3/22/2024 at 4:50 PM, SoGaDawg said: I see where you guys are coming from but what the SEC is doing isn’t so dumb. I’m ok with it for now. My Dawgs will play 8 SEC games and 4 non conf games. GA plays GA Tech every year and obviously they have been down. But they also try to play one very strong opponent from another conf every year. Like Oregon or Clemson. Last year would have been Texas. So we play 2 cupcake out of conf games. That’s pretty smart to me. And it helps some smaller universities financially. For the time being SOS isn’t going to be an issue, but staying healthy is always an issue. Getting reserves playing time is also important. Good points, on the other hand, Ole Miss plays 3 stiffs and Wake OOC. Mizzou with the easiest SOS in the SEC plays 3 stiffs and Boston College OOC. Georgia goes 10-2 and gets in ahead of 10-2 Oregon, hypothetically, I'm OK with that. But 10-2 Mizzou getting in ahead of Oregon, I'm ticked off. Is the Committee going to pay attention to SOS or continue to view a win in the SEC as a far better win than anywhere else? I'm a bit surprised that a Georgia fan is OK with Mizzou playing 4 ranked teams in the next two seasons. Ditto Bama. And for OK and UF to play the same brutal schedules back-to-back is not equitable. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoGaDawg No. 14 Share Posted March 22 On 3/22/2024 at 5:01 PM, Jon Joseph said: Good points, on the other hand, Ole Miss plays 3 stiffs and Wake OOC. Mizzou with the easiest SOS in the SEC plays 3 stiffs and Boston College OOC. Georgia goes 10-2 and gets in ahead of 10-2 Oregon, hypothetically, I'm OK with that. But 10-2 Mizzou getting in ahead of Oregon, I'm ticked off. Is the Committee going to pay attention to SOS or continue to view a win in the SEC as a far better win than anywhere else? I'm a bit surprised that a Georgia fan is OK with Mizzou playing 4 ranked teams in the next two seasons. Ditto Bama. And for OK and UF to play the same brutal schedules back-to-back is not equitable. Good point, you’re right the Missouri and Ole Miss schedules look favorable to say the least. Both have a good shot at going 10-2 and that would most certainly land them in the Playoff. I don’t love the way the scheduling is going but I don’t at this point mind it staying at 8 conference games. I guess the SEC is doing it bc they feel they can easily get away with it and bc it might provide some leverage in a future negotiation. Basically because they think they can, and sadly they are probably right. In truth though, I wasn’t paying attention to the Missouri and Mississippi schedules over the next two years. You make a good point, it does seem to give them an advantage. And that does stink especially for a powerhouse football program like Oregon that is going to likely play a much tougher schedule. Oregon had no choice but join the B1G and it absolutely makes things tougher. I think the move will pay off for Oregon though. An already national brand is just going to get stronger. I’m very excited about where Oregon football is headed!!! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
2002duck No. 15 Share Posted March 23 On 3/22/2024 at 11:00 AM, Jon Joseph said: 'Something is rotten in the State of Dixie!' I think that has to do with Hamlet's mother marrying his uncle Cleetus, and Hamlet's own Oedipus Complex. Just the way things are in S-E-C territory. I kid, I kid. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nevada Dawg No. 16 Share Posted March 23 I get the point about the built-in advantage of playing an 8-game conference schedule in the SEC. But Georgia's OOC games in 2025 include ,besides Furman or whomever, UCLA in the Rose Bowl and a rapidly improving Georgia Tech squad for 10 power-4 opponents. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Fischer Administrator No. 17 Share Posted March 23 On 3/22/2024 at 10:26 PM, Nevada Dawg said: I get the point about the built-in advantage of playing an 8-game conference schedule in the SEC. But Georgia's OOC games in 2025 include ,besides Furman or whomever, UCLA in the Rose Bowl and a rapidly improving Georgia Tech squad for 10 power-4 opponents. You will not get a pass here on this topic. If we are both to be in Big-2 conferences, then we need to play a big-boy schedule that is balanced. The Georgia schedule versus Ohio State for example is horrendously unbalanced, as the Buckeyes get it much easier than you. This should not be happening. To generate the most revenue with home games, and to even the playing field...ALL Power-4 conference teams should play the same amount of conference games. With as large as our conferences are now--we should be playing ten conference games a year with no conference championship, IMHO. So when you are playing Georgia Tech...we are playing Washington? 1 Mr. FishDuck Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikethehiker No. 18 Share Posted March 23 I’m so tired of barking up this tree, I just don’t care anymore. It works so much in favor of the SEC, why would they ever change? Incompetent AD’s and presidents do nothing about it while the SEC puts on a straight face and then laughs all the way to the bank. They’ve all made their beds… Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Joseph Author No. 19 Share Posted March 23 On 3/23/2024 at 2:57 AM, mikethehiker said: I’m so tired of barking up this tree, I just don’t care anymore. It works so much in favor of the SEC, why would they ever change? Incompetent AD’s and presidents do nothing about it while the SEC puts on a straight face and then laughs all the way to the bank. They’ve all made their beds… Mike, what's surprising to me is that the Georgia Bulldogs are not barking. Back-to-back seasons with Georgia, as ranked by Sports Illustrated, having the 6th most difficult strength of schedule in the SEC. More difficult than the Mizzou, Tennessee, Texas, Ole Miss, Auburn, LSU, A+M, Kentucky, and Arkansas schedules. Mississippi State has the 5th hardest SOS and Vandy has the 2nd hardest. Who cares, right? But in addition to No. 6 UGA, I don't understand why No. 4 Bama, No. 3 Oklahoma, and No. 1 Florida are not raising a ruckus. If Saint Nick was still the HC at Bama, I don't think he would have passively accepted this redo of 2024. Especially would not be happy about playing Georgia back-to-back and having a more difficult path to the SEC champ games than LSU. And Oklahoma has to wonder why it is the SEC's newbie red-headed stepchild compared to Texas. In this age of Super Conferences, the intra-conference SOS will matter. IMO the B1G through 2028 has done an excellent job of balancing schedules. In 2024 the Ducks play both Michigan and Ohio State. In 2025 both of the B1G heavyweights are off Oregon's schedule. Looks to me like Greg Sankey and the SEC just threw in the scheduling towel. Sankey does nothing without thinking long-term. Again, IMO, this is designed to get more money from ESPN. In the meantime, the SEC could have set a trap for itself. Do you want to send Missouri to the playoff as a higher seed than Bama and Georgia? Why? 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duckster No. 20 Share Posted March 23 I'm late to the dance here but great post Jon. This loophole in the system, exploited expertly by the SEC, has outraged me for years. It's an enormous advantage for that conference. For the top dogs, it amounts to a glorified bye week right before the push to the playoffs. Murray State in week nine? What a joke. Starters don't even need to suit up. But who's to stop them? NCAA is non functional and their existing media contracts have accepted it as part of the cost of doing business with the SEC. So what would ever motivate the SEC to change? More money possibly? More guaranteed teams in the new CFB playoff format? Something else? 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HDuck No. 21 Share Posted March 23 Speaking of the dance, the SEC had 8 teams selected and play 18 conference games - not 20. And, like in football their strength of schedule is helped by having SEC teams ranked - because they have the rankings bias that is modeled after football. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JabbaNoBargain No. 22 Share Posted March 23 (edited) On 3/23/2024 at 1:53 PM, HDuck said: Speaking of the dance, the SEC had 8 teams selected and play 18 conference games - not 20. And, like in football their strength of schedule is helped by having SEC teams ranked - because they have the rankings bias that is modeled after football. Oh they definitely play the same game with hoops, but the bigger the field the more it gets smoked out when it comes to playoffs. Edited March 23 by JabbaNoBargain Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomallister1291 No. 23 Share Posted March 23 This reminded me of how much I have kept begging for an Oregon vs. Alabama game, but everyone keeps saying it won't happen... Greg Byrne (Alabama's AD) recently mentioned in a video that he would like to keep and add good quality opponents to UA's future schedules, so I hope he agrees with Rob Mullens for either a home and home series or a kickoff game, preferably the former. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoGaDawg No. 24 Share Posted March 23 On 3/23/2024 at 6:12 PM, Thomallister1291 said: This reminded me of how much I have kept begging for an Oregon vs. Alabama game, but everyone keeps saying it won't happen... Greg Byrne (Alabama's AD) recently mentioned in a video that he would like to keep and add good quality opponents to UA's future schedules, so I hope he agrees with Rob Mullens for either a home and home series or a kickoff game, preferably the former. I wish Oregon and UGA would’ve had a home and home instead of one game in Atlanta. It still makes me chuckle remembering how the media considered that a neutral site game. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Joseph Author No. 25 Share Posted March 24 Ohio State plays Bama in 2027 and 2028 after playing Texas in 2025 and 2026. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomallister1291 No. 26 Share Posted March 24 On 3/23/2024 at 6:13 PM, Jon Joseph said: Ohio State plays Bama in 2027 and 2028 after playing Texas in 2025 and 2026. The fact Ohio State got Bama to travel to the North makes me wish that Oregon is able to do the same someday! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Joseph Author No. 27 Share Posted March 24 On 3/23/2024 at 8:20 PM, Thomallister1291 said: The fact Ohio State got Bama to travel to the North makes me wish that Oregon is able to do the same someday! Bama plays Wisconsin in Madison this season. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HDuck No. 28 Share Posted March 24 When Alabama goes to Madison in 2024, it will mark just the fourth time an SEC team has played at Camp Randall Stadium and the first since Sept. 25, 1971, when LSU defeated the Badgers, 38-28. The other two SEC games at Camp Randall were in 1928 (win over Alabama, Nov. 3) and 1931 (Oct. 10 tie with Auburn). 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
