(05-29-2022 06:50 AM)Crayton Wrote: (05-29-2022 01:56 AM)DawgNBama Wrote: (05-25-2022 05:42 AM)GoBuckeyes1047 Wrote: Honestly, the more I think about it, the more sense it make from a scheduling standpoint for the SEC to have 5 protected rivalries and allows them flexibility with the number of games they can play without altering their protected rivalry format.
8 games or 9 games w/ CCG semis: 4 rivals annually, 1 rival H&H every 3 years, everyone else H&H every 6 years min.
9 games or 10 games w/ CCG semis: 5 rivals annually, everyone else H&H every 5 years min.
10 games: 5 rivals annually, everyone else H&H every 4 years
The more I think about it, the more I like five protected rivalries as well.
Agreed. GoBuckeye's formats for 8 and 9 games are totally acceptable. The only thought I have is that 5 may be 1 too many permanent rivals with 9 games. Teams may rather have another rotating spot on the schedule than a fixed ho-hum opponent. Still, playing every team twice every TWO years is unnecessary.
Aren't the Destin meetings this week? We'll likely get some nice sound bites (if not outright decisions) in the next few days.
So doing some research, I decided to see how many rivalries would be realistic for the SEC. Wiki was a good starting point (numbers on the left. Add them up and average them up and it justifies 4 protected rivalries. Then I looked around and added teams that are geographically close and could be argued as a rivalry (numbers on the right). Add both numbers per team and average and a case can be made with 5 protected rivalries. Then I did my best attempt to determine everyone's 5 protected rivals or 4+1 in the case for an 8 game conference schedule. I know I have 2-4 forced matchups and isn't perfect, but I think most of the SEC teams would be satisfied. Note: originally had Bama-Ole Miss, but didn't want to give Auburn: Bama, UF, UGA, and OU/UT. Feel free to critique SEC fans.
Alabama - 6 + 1
Auburn, LSU, Mississippi St., Tennessee (Oklahoma)
Arkansas - 5 + 1
Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Texas, Texas A&M (LSU)
Auburn - 5 + 1
Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi St. (Ole Miss)
Florida - 3 + 4
Auburn, Georgia, Kentucky, South Carolina (Tennessee)
Georgia - 6
Auburn, Florida, South Carolina, Tennessee (Vanderbilt)
Kentucky - 2 + 3
Florida, Missouri, Tennessee, Vanderbilt (Mississippi St.)
LSU - 7 + 1
Alabama, Ole Miss, Mississippi St., Texas A&M (Arkansas)
Mississippi St. - 3 + 1
Alabama, Auburn, LSU, Ole Miss (Kentucky)
Missouri - 3 + 2
Kentucky, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Vanderbilt (Texas)
Oklahoma - 2 + 2
Arkansas, Missouri, Texas, Texas A&M (Alabama)
Ole Miss - 6
Arkansas, LSU, Mississippi St., Vanderbilt (Auburn)
South Carolina - 2 + 3
Georgia, Florida, Missouri, Texas (Texas A&M)
Tennessee - 6 + 1
Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Vanderbilt (Florida)
Texas - 3 + 1
Arkansas, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas A&M (Missouri)
Texas A&M - 3 + 3
Arkansas, LSU, Oklahoma, Texas (South Carolina)
Vanderbilt - 4
Kentucky, Missouri, Ole Miss, Tennessee (Georgia)
Missed Rivalries/Potential Rivalries
Alabama-Florida
Alabama-Georgia
Alabama-Ole Miss
Arkansas-Missouri
Auburn-LSU
Auburn-Tennessee
Florida-LSU
LSU-Texas
Missouri-Texas A&M
South Carolina-Tennessee