CarlSmithCenter
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RE: Big Ten might scrap football divisions
(01-27-2022 12:27 AM)Statefan Wrote: (01-26-2022 10:53 PM)CarlSmithCenter Wrote: (01-26-2022 03:43 PM)quo vadis Wrote: (01-26-2022 03:39 PM)Wedge Wrote: Looks like the Big Ten primarily wants to figure out whether no-divisions helps their chances in the next playoff format, and also whether to play 8 conference games instead of 9 to accommodate more games vs. Pac-12 and ACC teams.
IMO, the takeaways are:
1) The B1G expects there to *be* a new playoff format, meaning they don't expect anyone to carry their stonewalling as far as keeping the current 4-team CFP, at least not beyond 2026.
2) The B1G expects that a "top x champs" autobid format, not "P5 autobids", is likely to be the format. Because if it's "top x", then it behooves every conference to abandon divisions, to avoid some 7-5 team making the CCG and upsetting the standard-bearer, possibly knocking the conference out of the playoffs.
So then:
A) The PAC-12 goes to 8 games with 5 annual opponents and 3 of the other 6 every other year.
B) Alliance schools will agree that they each must play a minimum of 10 P4 games a season.
C) Games against Notre Dame will count as an “Alliance” matchup for the 5 ACC teams a year, Southern Cal, Stanford, and any B1G team that plays the Irish. As long as they continue to play Notre Dame annually, Stanford and SC will only have to schedule 1 other game against a B1G or ACC team to meet the 10 P4 minimum. In years where they play Notre Dame, Clemson, Georgia Tech, Louisville, and Florida State will satisfy the minimum of 10 P4 games by playing their end of season SEC rivalries.
D) The SEC will go to 9 games, with 3 permanent opponents and 6 of the remaining 12 every other year. Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, and Kentucky will play at least 10 P4 games a season. ACC schools will continue to schedule games with SEC opponents whenever feasible (Clemson vs. Georgia, Auburn and A&M, South Carolina vs. NC State & UNC, Wake vs. Vandy, Virginia Tech vs. Tennessee, etc.). The SEC schools will round out the schedules with the SoCon Invitational Weekend and/or games against various Big XII, Sun Belt & C-USA schools.
UCLA's shenanigans make me wonder how many California schools will play a game in the Southeast during Hurricane Season? Seems like anything inclement would scare them.
Well, for your Hurricane hypothetical — so UCLA avoids the ignominy of losing a hurricane makeup game to Miami in December to cost it a title shot, let’s take the Southeastern-most teams out of the equation. So, no Miami, FSU, GT, Clemson, Duke, Carolina, Wake, or State. FSU, GT, and Clemson, plus Louisville, also already have limited availability because of their SEC end-of-year rivalries.
So say the Bruins have a pool of non-conference Alliance matchups where they cycle through 1 or 2 of the following 20 schools a year OOC: Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Northwestern, Illinois, Notre Dame, Purdue, Indiana, Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State, Penn State, Rutgers, Maryland, Syracuse, BC, Pitt, Virginia, and Virginia Tech. More realistically, given that hurricane games are made up all the time, it’s likely UCLA’s 2 Alliance games would primarily come from the 25 team pool of Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Northwestern, Illinois, Notre Dame, Purdue, Indiana, Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State, Penn State, Rutgers, Maryland, Syracuse, BC, Pitt, Virginia, Virginia Tech, State, Wake, Duke, Carolina, and Miami, with less frequent tilts against the other 4 in the Alliance, Clemson, FSU, GT, and Louisville. Schedule UCLA’s away games in hurricane prone Southeastern states in mid to late October or early November if you have to.
8 PAC games plus + Alliance matchups would be preferable to UCLA’s exclusively G5/FCS OOC slates in ‘22 (Bowling Green, South Alabama, Alabama State) and in ‘23 (Coastal Carolina, @ SDSU, NC Central).
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