With the SEC announcing that it will play a ten-game, conference only schedule, what does it all mean? Who wins, who loses, and what’s next?
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SEC Goes To 10-Team All-SEC Schedule
2020 SEC Team Previews, 5 Things To Know
East Florida | Georgia | Kentucky | Missouri
South Carolina | Tennessee | Vanderbilt
West Alabama | Arkansas | Auburn | LSU
Miss State | Ole Miss | Texas A&M
5. SEC 10-Game Schedule. The Basics …
The SEC finally decided what it’s going to do. It’s going to follow the Big Ten and Pac-12 and keep everything in its own house with a ten-game conference-only schedule.
From the SEC, here are the key points …
– Everything is supposed to start on September 26th. That means some early SEC matchups will have to be moved around, but the later date will give everyone a chance to see how the NFL is handling things and it buys more time overall to come up with the best possible practices.
– No non-conference games. More on this in a moment, but it’s going to be all-SEC, all of the time. There are some out there already complaining about this, but that’s just silly. Ten SEC teams, ten games, no fluff.
– SEC Championship moved to December 19. This allows more time and more flexibility, and it also finally means we can dispense with the bullspit talking point that the College Football Playoff can’t be expanded with a first round being played in mid-December.
As of now, everyone gets a week off in the middle of the season and time off on December 12th.
NEXT: No Non-Conference Games And Why It Matters
4. No Non-Conference Games And Why It Matters
Florida and Florida State played in 1958 – a 21-7 Gator win – and have been rolling ever since.
Clemson and South Carolina first played in 1902 – a 12-6 USC win, and no, that’s not the last time Clemson lost in the series – and Georgia Tech and Georgia battled to a 0-0 tie earlier in the ’02 campaign.
Those are all gone for one year – hopefully, just the one season – as is the Louisville vs. Kentucky game.
We’re not getting Georgia vs. Virginia, Tennessee at Oklahoma, Alabama vs. USC, Auburn vs. North Carolina, Texas at LSU, and Colorado at Texas A&M. That stinks, but …
No Alabama vs. UT Martin.
No Mississippi State vs. Alabama A&M.
No Ole Miss vs. SE Missouri State, Texas A&M vs. Abilene Christian, South Carolina vs. Wofford, Tennessee vs. Furman, and on and on and on.
This really, really stinks for the FCS schools and the Group of Five programs that desperately need the paycheck, but from purely a fan standpoint, the all SEC action should be a blast.
However …
NEXT: Here’s Where This Gets Sticky
3. Here’s Where This Gets Sticky
If it’s a ten-game all-SEC schedule, and there are 14 teams, and every team was originally supposed to play eight conference games and miss five other teams, meaning there will be some huge fights to see who gets – depending on who isn’t on the original schedules – Alabama and who gets Vanderbilt.
For example, Florida is already scheduled to play its annual date against LSU. It’s not supposed to play Alabama, Auburn or Texas A&M, but it’s also not supposed to play Arkansas and Mississippi State.
Georgia would get a tad bit riled up if the Gators get the Hogs and Bulldogs out of those five.
On the flip side, Georgia plays Bama, but it misses LSU, Texas A&M, Arkansas, Ole Miss and Mississippi State. Florida wouldn’t be too pleased if the Dawgs get the Hogs and Rebels out of that.
Of course the SEC is going to try figuring this out so no one gets hammered with all of the great teams or all of the potentially easier ones, but it’s the SEC. Someone is going to be surly after the schedules are created.
So to look ahead …
NEXT: And The Big Loser In The SEC Scheduling Model Is …
2. And The Big Loser In The SEC Scheduling Model Is …
First and foremost, the FCS teams and the Group of Five programs are about to get destroyed. Their entire athletic budgets are often made or broken on these non-conference games, and they’re gone now.
In the SEC …
Texas A&M, but this is assuming the SEC isn’t blowing up the divisions and is keeping the current games on the slate.
As it stands right now, the Aggies have to go to Alabama and Auburn, and they face LSU, but that’s part of the deal in the West. They were also getting the massive break of missing Florida and Georgia from the East, along with Kentucky, Missouri and Tennessee.
Kentucky isn’t likely to be all that fired up, either. With its normal schedule, it was going to miss Alabama, LSU and Texas A&M. It still might, with Arkansas and Ole Miss the other teams not currently on the slate, but it was going to get off without playing some of the big boys from the West.
Tennessee wasn’t supposed to play Auburn, LSU or Texas A&M, and Vanderbilt was missing Alabama, LSU and Auburn. All of that might change now.
NEXT: And The Big Winner In The SEC Scheduling Model Is …
1. And The Big Winner In The SEC Scheduling Model Is …
Just like it is for the other conferences, the big winners are the fans.
To keep pushing this, think about what we’re getting.
We might be missing some of those big non-conference showdowns, but now there’s a chance to get Alabama vs. Florida, or LSU vs. Georgia, or Tennessee vs. Auburn or South Carolina vs. Mississippi State.
Granted, it’s hard to get too jacked up about a Vanderbilt game, but the defense is going to be a killer this year. Sure, let’s see it take its swings against the Tide, Tigers (Auburn or LSU version), or Mississippi State.
Overall, it’s hard to be a big winner right now until we find out who’s missing the big guys who aren’t currently on the schedule, but it’s a win for some teams if others might now have a tougher road to deal wit.
Maybe Alabama gets Vanderbilt and Missouri while Texas A&M gets Florida or Georgia. Maybe Georgia gets Arkansas while Florida gets Bama.
But from first glance, Auburn could be the biggest winner if it doesn’t have to face Florida.
Missouri, South Carolina, Tennessee and Vanderbilt. Those are the four teams from the East it’s currently missing, and all things considered, getting two of those four to play would be a plus if Bama, LSU and A&M get tougher dates.
The biggest winner overall, though? It’s college football … for now.
The SEC – like the other conferences – could’ve packed it in and said no, but it’s still trying to make this happen.
2020 SEC Team Previews, 5 Things To Know
East Florida | Georgia | Kentucky | Missouri
South Carolina | Tennessee | Vanderbilt
West Alabama | Arkansas | Auburn | LSU
Miss State | Ole Miss | Texas A&M
