(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.

(05-29-2022 12:15 AM)Crayton Wrote:  

(05-28-2022 11:38 PM)chester Wrote:  Dellenger talked about how they might give each of the "top" half of the league 2 permanent opponents from among each other and 1 from the "bottom" half. He placed Tennessee in the bottom group. Selfishly, I kinda hope it pans out that way because I've no desire to see Bama and State play every year. :shrug:

The 2:1 ratio makes sense, but in 10 years the "top" and "bottom" teams may change. It might be better to give every team 2 permanent rivals (top or bottom doesn't matter) and sell the ability to reallocate that 3rd permanent game to ESPN. If Oklahoma-Florida are stuck together (yuck), so be it, but if Tennessee and Florida again emerge as perennial Top 15 teams, let us have the flexibility to reignite that sucker.

Also, I don't buy that the bottom teams want fewer SEC games while the top teams want more. Maybe if you ask the coaches who struggle to get bowl eligible? But ADs, like at Vanderbilt, would rather get an extra, random SEC team in their stadium than a G5 or P5 Private with a tenth of the appeal. The exception to this is administrations who have permanent OOC rivals right now. Even then, Florida can get Miami, Notre Dame, and Pac-12 schools to BHG, they don't need to 'slightly' increase the frequency they see non-rival SEC teams.

(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.

(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

Great work. Only iffy thing is South Carolina being paired with the two Texas schools while Missouri is paired with Vandy and Kentucky. Easy change if warranted. I may go over this tonight after work and see how close it can be replicated in a pod system, not that it ‘needs’ to be but mostly because it is fun for me and there may be some value in ensuring no more than 2 teams can go undefeated.

I know it’d be unfair to Auburn, but my dream rivalry set would include them for the Gators. The 3 nearest teams (Auburn, Georgia, South Carolina) would be ideal.