Bud Elliott speculates about which teams will be helped and which will be hurt as a result of conferences eliminating non-conference games from their members’ schedules. The SEC doesn’t have any winners, but as far as losers go…
Hurts: SEC teams with cakewalk non-conference slates (Georgia, Florida, Texas A&M)
This analysis is not just about losing tough non-conference games off the schedule. It’s also about losing the opportunity to have an easy 4-0 in the non-conference slate. And three SEC playoff contenders fit the bill in Georgia, Florida, and Texas A&M.
Georgia was almost certainly going to go 4-0 playing against Virginia in Atlanta and against FCS ETSU, ULM, and Georgia Tech in Athens.
Florida was a virtual lock to go 4-0 outside the SEC with games against FCS Eastern Washington, South Alabama, New Mexico and at a rebuilding Florida State.
And Texas A&M had the easiest schedule outside outside its league of any playoff contender, with four home games against cupcakes in FCS Abilene Christian, North Texas, Colorado, and Fresno State.
I think that’s right. What sucks is that of those three, Georgia is the only one losing two P5 games.
That being said, Bud is assuming an eight-game conference schedule. If the SEC decides to expand conference play to nine or ten games, it will be interesting to see if the strength of schedule for the existing crossover games is taken into account. If so, Florida (LSU and Ole Miss) and TAMU (South Carolina and Vanderbilt) stand to be even bigger losers than Georgia (Alabama and Auburn).
Get The Picture 
Wish they would make their mind up about Virginia. They won their division last year and we are always hearing how the ACC is better than you think. So are they a cupcake or a legit program.
Logic says that if you add two games – then accelerate next two years schedule – Georgia picks up Arkansas and Florida picks up Alabama and A&M – Georgia picks up Arkansas and Mississippi.
The whining out of Gainesville would be priceless.
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Agreed on UF and Virginia. Further Bama has Ga State, USC, Kent State and UT Martin. I have a hard time accepting that UGA’s schedule is easier than Bama’s. I see UVa and USC being a toss,up and GT in theory should be better than Ga State, and even if not La-Monroe is better than Kent State and UT Martin.
UGA did exactly what I would like to see the SEC do, 2 P5 games, and 2 from whoever you want. UVa is respectable and won their division last year. Are they ND? No. On the flipside USC is a big name like ND but they haven’t been performing up to their name.
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Without Perkins they’re an easy out.
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Only Georgia could play two FBS non-cons and get dinged for a cakewalk schedule.
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Two Power 5’s more specifically…
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Oops. Duh.
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I thought the same thing. Georgia adds two ACC teams and it’s somehow a joke non-conference schedule?
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It’s not that UGA picks up two acc games…it’s that the acc picks up UGA to strength their conference scheduling/appearance/willingness to schedule upper tier institutions….
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I’m not shortsighted enough to want to end the rivalry, but it wouldn’t be the end of the world to lose Tech for a season. Opening with Virginia isn’t a huge loss either.
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For What it’s Worth:
The only loss I see here is the SEC is meeting this morning and thoughts prevailing are of Spring football with winter practice beginning in February and games running through June. If and I do mean if there is any kind of a season at all.
My first thoughts after not having football in the fall is Winter practice starts around signing day for 2021 class? Who will still be on the team? What kind of numbers are the valiant NCCA’ers going to allow team wise?
Conspiracy theorist wonders if this is just kicking NIL can down the road another year.
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We know with practical, not absolute certainty, that the talks today between all the SEC AD’s is precisely this: not whether to go to conference-only, but HOW, and how to manufacture that all important 9th (maybe even 10th game) so they don’t get dinged in the event of a playoff, (which will happen if there is a season.).
Can you imagine the hemming and hawing in that zoom meeting? Exactly half the AD’s will be quite content with “9-games by adding next year’s rotating opponent”, even if they have to play away. But pushing for 10-games by and the next two years’ rotating opponents? That’s a lot of money left on the table. Money, or chance of getting someone into the playoffs?
Does anybody doubt that Kirbs has already made a courtesy call to McG and told him: take the tenth game…b/c FTMFS?
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So if we went to 10, we’d just add the next two years’ rotating West teams? Arkansas and Mississippi State?
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To make it easy, yes.
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FWIW – they actually met face(mask) to face(mask) in Birmingham. But yes, agree with your point. A lot of muffled rhetoric between the 14.
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Reply was meant for Benny D
FWIW – they actually met face(mask) to face(mask) in Birmingham. But yes, agree with your point. A lot of muffled rhetoric between the 14.
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Let’s add 2 SEC crossover games with FU drawing Bama and ATM and Georgia getting Missy State and Arky.
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