The B1G Best Brace Itself for the Coming SEC Playoff Format Chicanery

[Jon Joseph]

 

B1G Commissioner, Tony Petitti, after hip surgery, not being able to attend the PO format discussion meetings in person, is symbolic of the injury the SEC wants to hand to the B1G.

 

 

Big Ten, SEC stalemate headlines College Football Playoff meetings with strength-of-schedule metrics in focus - CBSSports.com

WWW.CBSSPORTS.COM

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The two most powerful conferences in the country may now be on opposing sides as deadline nears

 

Fortunately, writers at CBS Sports and The Athletic see through the SEC Commissioner, Greg Sankey's, duplicitous PO format 180. 

[Jon Joseph]

 

B1G fans rate this article a solid: DUH!

 

 

College football fans are growing tired of the SEC's authority in College Football Playoff changes

STORMININNORMAN.COM

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College football world reacts to CFP chaos

 

I wonder what ointment his dermatologist prescribes for the bruises covering Greg Sankey's breast? 

 

[Jon Joseph]

 

Injury Reporting and Player Availability should be required for all teams for the entire season. OK, maybe not D3 teams?

 

 

College Football Playoff will require teams to provide player availability reports beginning with 2025 season - CBSSports.com

WWW.CBSSPORTS.COM

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The CFP will follow in the footsteps of the Big Ten and SEC

 

 

[Jon Joseph]

 

One of these things is not like the others: Honest Abe, George 'I Cannot Tell a Lie' Washington, Greg Sankey.

 

 

College Football Playoff format talks go back to drawing board as SEC gains momentum to keep 8-game schedule - CBSSports.com

WWW.CBSSPORTS.COM

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Newly proposed metrics could work in the SEC's favor as it looks to avoid a nine-game slate

 

Will the B1G's Tony Petitti pull a Larry Scott and let Sankey and the SEC get away with this crud?

 

I'd rather see the B1G exercise its 'veto power' and stay with a 12-team PO.

 

[30Duck]

On 6/19/2025 at 9:00 AM, Jon Joseph said:

I'd rather see the B1G exercise its 'veto power' and stay with a 12-team PO.

 

Absolutely. All this huffing and puffing from the SEC to preserve its sacred 8 game schedule. To the rest of the football world the 8 games is the Scarlet Letter, to the SEC it's the S on Superman's cape. Bring on the Kryptonite, B1G!

[Jon Joseph]

 

CFB Format change held up because of a beef between the B1G and the SEC, Naturally?

 

 

What's holding up CFP expansion? SEC and Big Ten are at a potential impasse on these key issues

SPORTS.YAHOO.COM

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Keeping the playoff at its current 12-team format is a grim reality for some, but it’s a possibility, perhaps even a probability as negotiations creep closer to the Dec. 1 deadline.

 

The PO staying at 12 is better for the B1G than a 16-team field with an 11-5 format. 

 

Did the author of this article not get the memo that the Advisory Board member SEC was on board with automatic qualifiers before sucker-punching the B1G?

 

The SEC using ESPN's FPI data to justify staying at 8 conference games is laughable for anyone with the slightest clue. The 2025 FPI preseason ranking has 13 SEC teams in its top 25.

 

If need be, Commissioner Petitti, use a B1G veto and stay at 12 teams.

[Jon Joseph]

On 6/19/2025 at 12:34 PM, 30Duck said:

Absolutely. All this huffing and puffing from the SEC to preserve its sacred 8 game schedule. To the rest of the football world the 8 games is the Scarlet Letter, to the SEC it's the S on Superman's cape. Bring on the Kryptonite, B1G!

 

Thank you, friend 30, for honing in on today's most important college football issue, a possible revision to the playoff format that means hundreds of millions of dollars. 

 

Tony Petitti cannot allow the B1G to be sucker punched by the duplicitous Greg Sankey.

[Jon Joseph]

 

Bret Bielema, who coached in the SEC, Gets It!

 

 

Can't Wait For Saturday Illinois coach making the right points on CFP

SPORTS.YAHOO.COM

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Jun. 19—*** In a Chicago media blitz on Tuesday, Illinois football coach Bret Bielema made two very good points. First, he wants to see the College Football Playoff expanded to 16 teams when the...

[NJDuck]

 

How Big Ten, SEC must compromise for next College Football Playoff expansion

 

How Big Ten, SEC must compromise for next College Football Playoff expansion

WWW.SPORTINGNEWS.COM

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It appears the Big Ten and SEC need to negotiate on what the next era of the College Football Playoff will look like. Here's where they should start.

 

[30Duck]

How the SEC can compromise with the Big Ten 

Go to nine conference games

 

Penn State will get a new uniform first.

[Jon Joseph]

 

The 5-11 Model is Best for the ACC and B12. Thank goodness CFB has experts like Nicole Auerbach to help us out. 

 

However, Hats Off to the Big 12 for joining the B1G in not supporting the 5-11 format unless the SEC plays 9 conference games. (The ACC and the Pac-8? Who Cares?)

 

 

National writer says SEC interest in 5+11 CFP model best for ACC

CANESWARNING.COM

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In an article updating the stalled talks between the Big 10 and SEC regarding college football playoff expansion, Nicole Auerbach of NBC Sports says the 5+11 mo

 

Greg Sankey and the SEC using the ESPN FPI rankings to support its superior strength of schedule isn't biased.

 

After all, 'Baghdad Bob,' currently writing Op-Ed pieces for the National Enquirer, believes that It Just Means More !, and that Spanky, er, Sankey, is Spot On! 

[Jon Joseph]

 

Bama Hammer Uses the FPI Strength of Record Stats to Support the SEC's Playing an 8 Game Gauntlet Like No Other!"

 

 

Big Ten and SEC misperceptions block progress to an expanded CFB Playoff format

BAMAHAMMER.COM

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Negotiations stalled this week on a new CFB Playoff format for 2026 and beyond. The debate goes back years. The words now being used to describe it are stalemat

 

Shocking!  

[30Duck]

This is just ridiculous. Last year after Bama lost to Okie and Vandy it was horrific, world as we know it ending! But now the SEC is using the Bama L's to show how STRONG the SEC is. In the words of Les Nessman, winner of 5 Buckeye News Hawk Awards, "Give me a break!" Oregon is not going to lose to Purdue, or Northwestern, or Rutgers, or Maryland...but if they did somehow, should they schedule Texas State in Weak 11?

[Mike West]

On 6/20/2025 at 10:49 AM, 30Duck said:

This is just ridiculous. Last year after Bama lost to Okie and Vandy it was horrific, world as we know it ending! But now the SEC is using the Bama L's to show how STRONG the SEC is. In the words of Les Nessman, winner of 5 Buckeye News Hawk Awards, "Give me a break!" Oregon is not going to lose to Purdue, or Northwestern, or Rutgers, or Maryland...but if they did somehow, should they schedule Texas State in Weak 11?

Yep,

 

They're trying to claim 5-3 in the SEC is like going 11-1 in the ACC or Big 12.  Funny how South Carolina, one of those bubble teams, almost always loses to a real playoff contender in Clemson.  Any guess why the SEC rarely schedules OOC teams capable of defeating them? 

 

It's a joke.  The SEC has leverage because their fans are far more glued to their games than the rest of the country.  

 

Let's be real though.  Illinois beat South Carolina.  Michigan outclassed Bama.  It's been that way during bowl season for years.  But somehow, the SEC really believes they are deeper than the B1G.

 

Show us in the regular season SEC.  Tuck away your two to three games that gets you closer to 10 wins and play OOC teams that are threats to your record. 

 

I didn't see Illinois and Michigan pulling upsets last year, but I'm not surprised given that the vaunted SEC schedule only confirms they play each other tough because they're so familiar with each other. 

 

All the SEC has done is proven their propaganda narrative works.  It doesn't hold up in the postseason - but it sure works wonders in the regular season. 

 

I still remember Les Miles calling out Pete Carrol the year they shared a title.  But he didn't dare schedule him.  Because ole Pete owned the SEC.  And Miles knew it.  

 

Right now, the middle of the B1G is clearly as deep as the SEC.  After all USC did defeat LSU last year didn't they? That's why the SEC avoids competition in the regular season. 

 

[Jon Joseph]

On 6/21/2025 at 5:03 AM, Mike West said:

Yep,

 

They're trying to claim 5-3 in the SEC is like going 11-1 in the ACC or Big 12.  Funny how South Carolina, one of those bubble teams, almost always loses to a real playoff contender in Clemson.  Any guess why the SEC rarely schedules OOC teams capable of defeating them? 

 

It's a joke.  The SEC has leverage because their fans are far more glued to their games than the rest of the country.  

 

Let's be real though.  Illinois beat South Carolina.  Michigan outclassed Bama.  It's been that way during bowl season for years.  But somehow, the SEC really believes they are deeper than the B1G.

 

Show us in the regular season SEC.  Tuck away your two to three games that gets you closer to 10 wins and play OOC teams that are threats to your record. 

 

I didn't see Illinois and Michigan pulling upsets last year, but I'm not surprised given that the vaunted SEC schedule only confirms they play each other tough because they're so familiar with each other. 

 

All the SEC has done is proven their propaganda narrative works.  It doesn't hold up in the postseason - but it sure works wonders in the regular season. 

 

I still remember Les Miles calling out Pete Carrol the year they shared a title.  But he didn't dare schedule him.  Because ole Pete owned the SEC.  And Miles knew it.  

 

Right now, the middle of the B1G is clearly as deep as the SEC.  After all USC did defeat LSU last year didn't they? That's why the SEC avoids competition in the regular season. 

 

 

Thanks, Mike. 7th-place B1G finisher SC also defeated A+M last season in bookend victories over the SEC.

 

But, according to the SEC media, What Happens in Vegas Stays in Vegas. 

 

Michigan is 4-3 all-time vs The Tide. The first win was a 28-24 victory in 1987 with Demetrious Brown playing QB for the Wolverines.

 

In 2000, Michigan defeated Bama in the Orange Bowl, with some guy named Tom Brady throwing for a college career high 369 yards. 

 

On its way to a Natty, Michigan sent Saint Nick out of coaching with a 27-20 OT victory in the Rose Bowl. 

 

Last season, with many 2024 top draft choices sitting out, Michigan defeated an all-hands-on-deck Bama, 19- 13 in the RQ Bowl. In 2024, Michigan's passing 'attack' was superior only to Army and Navy. 1st round draft pick Bama QB Jalen Milroe went 0-2 against Michigan.

 

And as you noted, PO screwed over 9-3 South Carolina lost its bowl game against 9-3 Illinois. Two of Illinois's losses came on the road at No. 1 Oregon and No. 4 Penn State, but Tony Petitti and the ESPN talking heads did not mention that Illinois was screwed over. 

 

Using ESPN's F(radulent) P(ower) I(ndex) to support an 8-game conference schedule being the hardest gauntlet in CFB is a self-fulfilling joke. When the FPI ranks 13 SEC teams, 82.50% of the conference in the top 25, you're probably going to have a pretty good in-conference strength of schedule. 

 

Don't you just hate it when facts get in the way? 

[woundedknees]

Greg S(k)ankey... Hmmm.

[30Duck]

On 6/21/2025 at 8:48 AM, Jon Joseph said:

Using ESPN's F(radulent) P(ower) I(ndex) to support an 8-game conference schedule being the hardest gauntlet in CFB is a self-fulfilling joke. When the FPI ranks 13 SEC teams, 82.50% of the conference in the top 25, you're probably going to have a pretty good in-conference strength of schedule. 

 

Don't you just hate it when facts get in the way? 

Please B1G, stand up. The last thing Sankey, the SEC, ESPN want is what's best for the game. Force their hand, make the SEC follow the rules like the other conferences do. 

[Jon Joseph]

 

USA Today calls out the SEC - Stop the Cupcake Scheduling

 

 

If SEC wants more College Football Playoff respect, it's time to dump cupcake games

WWW.USATODAY.COM

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The SEC keeps finding new reasons to not add a ninth conference game. OK, then how about adding another good non-conference game?

 

[30Duck]

The SEC wants to have their cupcakes and eat it too. The article suggests, 'fine, 8 conference games' but how about scheduling a team with some meat on the bone, maybe Illinois instead of Eastern Illinois, or at least Kansas?

 

Kentucky is in the SEC, but according to PAWL, they aren't all that.

 

"Very average," Finebaum said. "I'm not saying he can't have a winning season, but I'll just go through it in my head right now: one, two, three, four, five, I think right now 6-6 would be a pretty good season. It wouldn't be a pretty good season if you've had two bad seasons in a row, I'm just thinking I don't see a lot better than 6-6 or at the absolute best 7-5, which is pretty mediocre."

[Steven A]

When the SouthEasternConference was created, I think there was a bylaw that requires scheduling one or two "directional" schools to fit the conference name.

[The Kamikaze Kid]

I really wish ASU had pulled off the upset against Texas. That would have been a big fat L on the SEC forehead.

[GatOrlando]

The ACC and Big 12 have sided with Sankey mostly because accepting the 4-4-2-2-4 model is like admitting they really are little brothers. The B1G is pushing for the SEC to get to 9 conference games, the SEC will use the strength of schedule argument to say its seasons are already tougher, and the B1G top beats up on its bottom.

 

I don't know about any of you, but I'm over this old men in suits arguing over an extra million when they are already making billions. Let me know who's in, make the regular season still matter, and don't totally exclude the G5. Arizona State and Boise State were great stories, so was SMU and Indiana. Let's just seed the teams based off their true ranking please. Oregon would've made it to the CFP if they were in the Notre Dame/Penn State bracket. How in the heck did you reward Oregon for it's undefeated season by giving them Ohio State or Tennessee in the Rose? Meanwhile you gave Penn State the Boise State Broncos.

 

Even if Oregon had gotten Tennessee and if they beat them, they would get Texas. Tell me which side is balanced. Oregon, Arizona State, Texas, Ohio State , Tennessee and Clemson vs Georgia(backup QB), Boise State, Notre Dame, Penn State, SMU and Indiana.

[30Duck]

On 6/23/2025 at 2:25 AM, GatOrlando said:

The B1G is pushing for the SEC to get to 9 conference games, the SEC will use the strength of schedule argument to say its seasons are already tougher, and the B1G top beats up on its bottom.

 

I don't know about any of you, but I'm over this old men in suits arguing over an extra million when they are already making billions. Let me know who's in, make the regular season still matter, and don't totally exclude the G5

And Okie and Vandy beat up 'Bama, the strength of schedule is what the ESPN computer says it is, nobody is crowing louder than ESECPN about how great the SEC is, that the football product must be dominated by SEC teams. We DESERVE to only play 8 conference games.

[MrBrooks]

Chicanery? I agree 1000%.  Let us not forget skullduggery (Merriam Webster's definition says see Greg Sankey!).  It seems like the seeding can only be as good as the rankings;  how good are the rankings when most of the SEC is ranked in the top 25?  I am inclined to believe that Sankey would not be such a blowhard if the SEC was assured of making the most money annually; by conference and team.  Money talks and it would say the SEC is best according to Sankey the Spin Doctor.  

[Jon Joseph]

On 6/23/2025 at 5:25 AM, GatOrlando said:

The ACC and Big 12 have sided with Sankey mostly because accepting the 4-4-2-2-4 model is like admitting they really are little brothers. The B1G is pushing for the SEC to get to 9 conference games, the SEC will use the strength of schedule argument to say its seasons are already tougher, and the B1G top beats up on its bottom.

 

I don't know about any of you, but I'm over this old men in suits arguing over an extra million when they are already making billions. Let me know who's in, make the regular season still matter, and don't totally exclude the G5. Arizona State and Boise State were great stories, so was SMU and Indiana. Let's just seed the teams based off their true ranking please. Oregon would've made it to the CFP if they were in the Notre Dame/Penn State bracket. How in the heck did you reward Oregon for it's undefeated season by giving them Ohio State or Tennessee in the Rose? Meanwhile you gave Penn State the Boise State Broncos.

 

Even if Oregon had gotten Tennessee and if they beat them, they would get Texas. Tell me which side is balanced. Oregon, Arizona State, Texas, Ohio State , Tennessee and Clemson vs Georgia(backup QB), Boise State, Notre Dame, Penn State, SMU and Indiana.

Thanks, G. The B12 does support the 11-5 format, but at least as of today, like the B1G, the B12 does not want the PO to expand unless the SEC plays 9 conference games. 

 

I do give Greg Sankey a pass on last season's fouled-up format—a format designed for 5 Power Conferences. He was able to eliminate a second G6 team as an automatic qualifier, but could not reach an agreement on changing the format to seeding that matched the rankings. 

 

As you note, last season's field was so unbalanced that 10 conferences and Notre Dame voted for this needed change in 2025-26. Of course, the 'balance issues' were exacerbated by the committee for no good reason ranking G6 Boise State the 9th best team in the nation. This screwed ASU fans out of a game in Glendale, Arizona instead of Atlanta. 

 

Is the 4-4-2-2-1-3 format (B1G format) bad for the ACC and B12? Looking back from the inception of the BCS in 1998, and projecting what a 16-team field would have been, the B1G would have had the most participants, followed closely by the SEC. Two teams each for the ACC and the B12 would have helped both conferences, especially the B12.

 

Among his duplicitous comments regarding the B1G format, Sankey suggests that a guarantee of only 4 teams in the field would hurt the SEC. True in that all three 9-3 'left out' SEC teams would have been in last season's 5- 11, 16-team field. Notre Dame would score one of the three at-large bids every season, and the other two at-large bids could go to the B1G and SEC teams.

 

Is there a reasonable SEC fan (an oxymoron?) who, after the 2024-25 postseason, believes six SEC teams deserved to be in the field? Does anyone with a modicum of objectivity believe that the SEC commissioner and SEC ADs, before arriving at the SEC spring meetings, were not aware that SEC coaches wanted to stay at 8 conference games? And that an ESPN FPI pamphlet justifying 8 games because of the brutality of the SEC schedule just happened to be lying (lie-ing?) around? 

 

At this point, without the SEC agreeing to play nine conference games, I'd as soon see CFB leave multi-millions of dollars on the table and stay with a 12-team field through the conclusion of the ESPN broadcast agreement, 2031-32. With the condition that the Football Committee uses disclosed metrics, as does the CBB Committee, and none of the metrics come from an ESPN computer. (Unfortunately, CFB has a weekly rankings show, but the shows are built into the ESPN broadcast agreement, and ESPN will not give up the revenue.)

 

Use the CBB model and move the start of the Season to Week 0, and also consider dumping or flex-scheduling conference champ games. This season's CFB champ game will be played on 1/19/26. In 2026-27, without a change to the schedule, the season will conclude on 1/25/28. CFB PO games will not have more viewers than NFL PO games. 

 

I also see no reason for continuing the Greg Sankey suggested Advisory Committee.

 

I have no beef with the SEC fans who want to play nine conference games instead of N-E-W-S Directional State. No beef with a Florida team playing 11 P4 games in 2025, and other SEC teams that play 10 P4 opponents.

 

Tony Petitti and Brett Yormark need to call the SEC and the ACC's 8 conference games bluff.

 

 

 

[GatOrlando]

On 6/23/2025 at 7:09 AM, 30Duck said:

And Okie and Vandy beat up 'Bama, the strength of schedule is what the ESPN computer says it is, nobody is crowing louder than ESECPN about how great the SEC is, that the football product must be dominated by SEC teams. We DESERVE to only play 8 conference games.

I'm a Gator fan, not an SEC flag waver. I have tired of the whole argument and hyping of the SEC bottom feeders.What are we doing here? Ole Miss, South Carolina, Arkansas, Kentucky, Mississippi State, Missouri, and Vanderbilt are now yearly tough games?

 

I can't even brag about Florida because it's been fifteen years since they've done anything. I don't celebrate or try to claim some quasi third party of separation victory from Georgia or Alabama. Those two have been dominant, they deserve the bragging rights.  

[GatOrlando]

On 6/23/2025 at 8:14 AM, Jon Joseph said:

Thanks, G. The B12 does support the 11-5 format, but at least as of today, like the B1G, the B12 does not want the PO to expand unless the SEC plays 9 conference games. 

 

I do give Greg Sankey a pass on last season's fouled-up format—a format designed for 5 Power Conferences. He was able to eliminate a second G6 team as an automatic qualifier, but could not reach an agreement on changing the format to seeding that matched the rankings. 

 

As you note, last season's field was so unbalanced that 10 conferences and Notre Dame voted for this needed change in 2025-26. Of course, the 'balance issues' were exacerbated by the committee for no good reason ranking G6 Boise State the 9th best team in the nation. This screwed ASU fans out of a game in Glendale, Arizona instead of Atlanta. 

 

Is the 4-4-2-2-1-3 format (B1G format) bad for the ACC and B12? Looking back from the inception of the BCS in 1998, and projecting what a 16-team field would have been, the B1G would have had the most participants, followed closely by the SEC. Two teams each for the ACC and the B12 would have helped both conferences, especially the B12.

 

Among his duplicitous comments regarding the B1G format, Sankey suggests that a guarantee of only 4 teams in the field would hurt the SEC. True in that all three 9-3 'left out' SEC teams would have been in last season's 5- 11, 16-team field. Notre Dame would score one of the three at-large bids every season, and the other two at-large bids could go to the B1G and SEC teams.

 

Is there a reasonable SEC fan (an oxymoron?) who, after the 2024-25 postseason, believes six SEC teams deserved to be in the field? Does anyone with a modicum of objectivity believe that the SEC commissioner and SEC ADs, before arriving at the SEC spring meetings, were not aware that SEC coaches wanted to stay at 8 conference games? And that an ESPN FPI pamphlet justifying 8 games because of the brutality of the SEC schedule just happened to be lying (lie-ing?) around? 

 

At this point, without the SEC agreeing to play nine conference games, I'd as soon see CFB leave multi-millions of dollars on the table and stay with a 12-team field through the conclusion of the ESPN broadcast agreement, 2031-32. With the condition that the Football Committee uses disclosed metrics, as does the CBB Committee, and none of the metrics come from an ESPN computer. (Unfortunately, CFB has a weekly rankings show, but the shows are built into the ESPN broadcast agreement, and ESPN will not give up the revenue.)

 

Use the CBB model and move the start of the Season to Week 0, and also consider dumping or flex-scheduling conference champ games. This season's CFB champ game will be played on 1/19/26. In 2026-27, without a change to the schedule, the season will conclude on 1/25/28. CFB PO games will not have more viewers than NFL PO games. 

 

I also see no reason for continuing the Greg Sankey suggested Advisory Committee.

 

I have no beef with the SEC fans who want to play nine conference games instead of N-E-W-S Directional State. No beef with a Florida team playing 11 P4 games in 2025, and other SEC teams that play 10 P4 opponents.

 

Tony Petitti and Brett Yormark need to call the SEC and the ACC's 8 conference games bluff.

 

 

 

There's some news that the ACC and Big 12 were desperate to break up the power couple of the B1G and SEC. Will the B1G wield it's power and vote to keep the playoff at 12 if the SEC doesn't back off the 8 game conference slate? It's going to cost everybody money because more playoff teams means more money for the conference, I think it was 3.2 million after disbursement. Notre Dame gets about 16 million I think, that's the biggest winner in any format imo.

 

In my perfect world the B1G and SEC would use their power to force Notre Dame to make a decision. After that the SEC would go to 9 games like everyone else, and they would eliminate the static two season opponent home/away slate. 

 

The ACC and Big 12 would get a guarantee of three teams should they meet the criteria. The G5 would get a bid if they finish in the top 20. No byes, and the first two rounds would be on campus.

 

Will any of that happen? I doubt it, too many egos in the room to be made to look weak for compromising. Greg Sankey has been getting away with more bluster than anybody not named Notre Dame. Should he be seen as compromising, he would lose some of his so called mystique.

[30Duck]

On 6/23/2025 at 8:14 AM, Jon Joseph said:

At this point, without the SEC agreeing to play nine conference games, I'd as soon see CFB leave multi-millions of dollars on the table and stay with a 12-team field through the conclusion of the ESPN broadcast agreement, 2031-32. With the condition that the Football Committee uses disclosed metrics, as does the CBB Committee, and none of the metrics come from an ESPN computer. (Unfortunately, CFB has a weekly rankings show, but the shows are built into the ESPN broadcast agreement, and ESPN will not give up the revenue.)

Yes

 

On 6/23/2025 at 8:14 AM, Jon Joseph said:

Tony Petitti and Brett Yormark need to call the SEC and the ACC's 8 conference games bluff.

Yes

On 6/23/2025 at 8:14 AM, Jon Joseph said:

 

Is there a reasonable SEC fan (an oxymoron?) who, after the 2024-25 postseason, believes six SEC teams deserved to be in the field?

The closest to that Species can be found here:

 

On 6/23/2025 at 10:25 AM, GatOrlando said:

'I'm a Gator fan, not an SEC flag waver. I have tired of the whole argument and hyping of the SEC bottom feeders.What are we doing here