The SEC thread

[tejasrulz]

Since we joined the sec sec, I have heard two consistent messages that seem to contradict:

1. Texas is in for a shock, going through the grind of an sec schedule. THERE ARE NO WEEKS OFF! We are in for a rude awakening come (this season).

Here we sit at 9-1 and the message has changed:

2. Texas has a cakewalk schedule. We are overrated because we haven't played a tough sec schedule.

What am I missing? Surely these two statements can be reconciled somehow?

Oh and an addendum to #2 - There has been an outcry that Texas did not play a road sec game until mid October.. "this has never happened before." I guess this would be a valid concern if the complaint was that we didn't have away games... but it's not. It is not that we have more home games... just that our away games came later in the schedule and one was at a neutral site. So, while you're reconciling the two complaints above, perhaps straighten me out on this addendum as well??

Thank you for the education I'm about to receive.

aggy logic

 

[PTA]

If aggy is chirping, they have no room to talk.

 

[BruiseLee]

aggy logic

The funny thing about it is they were complaining we didn't have any wins against ranked opponents. Then when Mizzou went down, they got awfully quiet

 

[dssl]

Since we joined the sec sec, I have heard two consistent messages that seem to contradict:

1. Texas is in for a shock, going through the grind of an sec schedule. THERE ARE NO WEEKS OFF! We are in for a rude awakening come (this season).

Here we sit at 9-1 and the message has changed:

2. Texas has a cakewalk schedule. We are overrated because we haven't played a tough sec schedule.

What am I missing? Surely these two statements can be reconciled somehow?

Oh and an addendum to #2 - There has been an outcry that Texas did not play a road sec game until mid October.. "this has never happened before." I guess this would be a valid concern if the complaint was that we didn't have away games... but it's not. It is not that we have more home games... just that our away games came later in the schedule and one was at a neutral site. So, while you're reconciling the two complaints above, perhaps straighten me out on this addendum as well??

Thank you for the education I'm about to receive.

Our schedule has been weaker then expected, with Michigan and ou not being the anticipated challenge. We lost to the only top tier SEC team we played , so I think the weak schedule critique has some substance.

That being said, we scheduled a marquee out of conference game, and presumably we didn't get much say in our conference schedule, so this was just the luck of the draw.

We are ranked #3 and none of this matters. We win and we are golden. it's unclear what happens if we lose to Kentucky or aggy, as it should be.

So whatever narrative people are spinning is just meaningless noise, and doesn't matter.

 

[Wayne]

The funny thing about it is they were complaining we didn't have any wins against ranked opponents. Then when Mizzou went down, they got awfully quiet

They don’t know how to be quiet.

 

[BWilk55]

Our schedule has been weaker then expected, with Michigan and ou not being the anticipated challenge. We lost to the only top tier SEC team we played , so I think the weak schedule critique has some substance.

That being said, we scheduled a marquee out of conference game, and presumably we didn't get much say in our conference schedule, so this was just the luck of the draw.

We are ranked #3 and none of this matters. We win and we are golden. it's unclear what happens if we lose to Kentucky or aggy, as it should be.

So whatever narrative people are spinning is just meaningless noise, and doesn't matter.

Agree with this.

Look at the SEC rankings and where the teams we have beaten rank. Our 5 wins come against teams ranked in the bottom 7. It'll be 6 out of 7 if we beat Kentucky.

Our SEC schedule wasn't all that tough on paper to begin the season and has only gotten easier.

 

[Sirhornsalot]

Agree with this.

Look at the SEC rankings and where the teams we have beaten rank. Our 5 wins come against teams ranked in the bottom 7. It'll be 6 out of 7 if we beat Kentucky.

Our SEC schedule wasn't all that tough on paper to begin the season and has only gotten easier.

Well, Vanderbilt was certainly better than anyone expected.

Florida just beat LSU

We can only play the teams on our schedule. We don't get to make the schedule.

 

[BWilk55]

Well, Vanderbilt was certainly better than anyone expected.

Florida just beat LSU

We can only play the teams on our schedule. We don't get to make the schedule.

I agree... but the SOS is what it is. It's not our fault.

I do think Strength of Record is a more important metric and in that we rank 5th currently.

 

[dssl]

Thinking about all of these crazy tie breaking scenarios makes me dislike the 8 game SEC schedule even more.

Hopefully they move to a 9 game schedule where you play every team at least every other year. If your schedule is too hard or too easy one year, chances are it will be the opposite the next year.

 

[hookemhorb]

Thinking about all of these crazy tie breaking scenarios makes me dislike the 8 game SEC schedule even more.

Hopefully they move to a 9 game schedule where you play every team at least every other year. If your schedule is too hard or too easy one year, chances are it will be the opposite the next year.

It doesn't really matter what we like. Each conference is going to do what it can to make as much money as possible. Right now I think that means getting as many teams as it can into the CFP. It could change in the near future as this is the first year of the 12 team playoffs.

 

[BWilk55]

Thinking about all of these crazy tie breaking scenarios makes me dislike the 8 game SEC schedule even more.

Hopefully they move to a 9 game schedule where you play every team at least every other year. If your schedule is too hard or too easy one year, chances are it will be the opposite the next year.

This is a bit down the road but with the talk of the SEC/Big 10 scheduling agreement in the future, here is something that could solve this and lead to even more high profile games.

SEC with 4, 4 teams pods (Texas, OU, Ark, A&M for example). Each year your play your pod and 1 other pod for 7 total SEC games. The other 2 pods play their 7 games against each other. This creates 2 8 team divisions and the winner of each division moves on to the SEC Championship. You could still gave ties but at least all 8 teams have played the same competition and tiebreakers will make more sense.

The other pod you play changes each year, 3 years to play the entire league, 6 years to complete home and homes.

To make up for the loss of the SEC games, you play a home and away game against 2 Big 10 opponents each year. 9 high quality Power 4 (or 2) games each year. 3 gimme home games against local schools.

 

[dssl]

It doesn't really matter what we like. Each conference is going to do what it can to make as much money as possible. Right now I think that means getting as many teams as it can into the CFP. It could change in the near future as this is the first year of the 12 team playoffs.

The current conferane playoff payout is mostly independent of how many teams make the playoffs. I think each team making the playoffs gets some additional money, but it's not the bulk of the payouts.

Going to a 9 game schedule will result in more marquee games that has significant revenue potential. There are presumably lots of negotiations going on between the SEC, the members schools and ESPN on what the conference schedule will look like. My hope is that all the teams have 3 annual games and then the other 6 games are every other year match ups(aka a 3-6-6 schedule).

But a 3-6-6 schedule isn't going to optimize revenue. Project Rudy is an attempt to optimize revenue by doing away with the conferences and have the the top schools play each other more and get bigger payouts. Here is what B1G commissioner had to say about project Rudy:

' "I have yet to see a single thing in any plan that contains things that we couldn’t do ourselves and do with our A4 colleagues,” said the Big Ten commissioner.'

I have no idea what scheduling model we will get, but fasten your seat belts because it's unlikely to look anything like what most people are expecting.

Greg Sankey, Tony Petitti pushback on idea of private equity 'super leagues'

Greg Sankey and Tony Petitti met with reporters on Friday on the heels of a groundbreaking meeting between the SEC and the Big Ten.

www.saturdaydownsouth.com

 

[Sirhornsalot]

This is a bit down the road but with the talk of the SEC/Big 10 scheduling agreement in the future, here is something that could solve this and lead to even more high profile games.

SEC with 4, 4 teams pods (Texas, OU, Ark, A&M for example). Each year your play your pod and 1 other pod for 7 total SEC games. The other 2 pods play their 7 games against each other. This creates 2 8 team divisions and the winner of each division moves on to the SEC Championship. You could still gave ties but at least all 8 teams have played the same competition and tiebreakers will make more sense.

The other pod you play changes each year, 3 years to play the entire league, 6 years to complete home and homes.

To make up for the loss of the SEC games, you play a home and away game against 2 Big 10 opponents each year. 9 high quality Power 4 (or 2) games each year. 3 gimme home games against local schools.

This does two things I don't like.
1. Help the Big10
2. Eliminates the scrub games. I know we criticize playing smaller school teams, but playing a school like us, Georgia, Bama, etc, helps their budgets immensely. They depend on it. I'm all for helping the little guy out.

 

[BWilk55]

This does two things I don't like.
1. Help the Big10
2. Eliminates the scrub games. I know we criticize playing smaller school teams, but playing a school like us, Georgia, Bama, etc, helps their budgets immensely. They depend on it. I'm all for helping the little guy out.

1. That could be true to a degree, though Texas already doing that by scheduling OOC games against the Big10.
2. I suggested 9 games between SEC and Big10 matchups. That still leaves 3 for the little guys.

 

[Baron]

Our schedule has been weaker then expected, with Michigan and ou not being the anticipated challenge. We lost to the only top tier SEC team we played , so I think the weak schedule critique has some substance.

That being said, we scheduled a marquee out of conference game, and presumably we didn't get much say in our conference schedule, so this was just the luck of the draw.

We are ranked #3 and none of this matters. We win and we are golden. it's unclear what happens if we lose to Kentucky or aggy, as it should be.

So whatever narrative people are spinning is just meaningless noise, and doesn't matter.

Never, ever downplay the ou game. I've watched over 50 iterations of this game and they rarely play out the way people think or expect. It's a tough game every year until it's over. Hindsight may make it look easy but that does a disservice to the game itself.

 

[Baron]

The current conferane playoff payout is mostly independent of how many teams make the playoffs. I think each team making the playoffs gets some additional money, but it's not the bulk of the payouts.

Going to a 9 game schedule will result in more marquee games that has significant revenue potential. There are presumably lots of negotiations going on between the SEC, the members schools and ESPN on what the conference schedule will look like. My hope is that all the teams have 3 annual games and then the other 6 games are every other year match ups(aka a 3-6-6 schedule).

But a 3-6-6 schedule isn't going to optimize revenue. Project Rudy is an attempt to optimize revenue by doing away with the conferences and have the the top schools play each other more and get bigger payouts. Here is what B1G commissioner had to say about project Rudy:

' "I have yet to see a single thing in any plan that contains things that we couldn’t do ourselves and do with our A4 colleagues,” said the Big Ten commissioner.'

I have no idea what scheduling model we will get, but fasten your seat belts because it's unlikely to look anything like what most people are expecting.

Greg Sankey, Tony Petitti pushback on idea of private equity 'super leagues'

Greg Sankey and Tony Petitti met with reporters on Friday on the heels of a groundbreaking meeting between the SEC and the Big Ten.

www.saturdaydownsouth.com

The nine game conference schedule is the most practical, but I like the four non-conference games. Variety is the spice of life.

 

[Baron]

1. That could be true to a degree, though Texas already doing that by scheduling OOC games against the Big10.
2. I suggested 9 games between SEC and Big10 matchups. That still leaves 3 for the little guys.

As long as the "little guys" aren't always Rice, UTSA or UTEP.

 

[Sirhornsalot]

Florida is about to knock Ole Miss out of the conference race.

FLorida 24
Ole Miss 17
7:40 in the 4th

 

[PTA]

So what is the difference between the Gators we beat soundly and the team that seems pretty decent the last two games?

 

[DMAC]

So what is the difference between the Gators we beat soundly and the team that seems pretty decent the last two games?

Lagway?

Wondering how the last 2 wins affects some of the recruits who we are fighting Florida for