August 26, 2021 · 7:00 AM

TFW you’ve got to fix a mess your predecessor left you

Sounds like change is a-coming.

Of course, that opens up more questions than it answers.  Does he wait until the conference goes to 16?  Pods?  No divisions?  Divisions with Auburn and Alabama moving East and Mizzou moving West?  Who knows?

25 Comments

Filed under SEC Football

25 responses to “TFW you’ve got to fix a mess your predecessor left you”

  1. gotthepicture
    August 26, 2021 at 7:13 AM

    There is a clip on YouTube where Donnan says he’s heard they are leaning toward 4 pods of 4 teams.
    You play the 3 in your pod, + another pod (4 games), +1 full-time rival from another pod (e.g. Auburn), + a team from the the last pod.
    So a 9-game conference schedule.
    I would be down with that.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Holiday Inn Bagman
      August 26, 2021 at 7:29 AM

      If I had to bet I’m going with this. As it is some schools will complain about their “pod” – looking at you Florida and LSU – but this has the most competitive balance to it.

      Like

    • akascuba
      August 26, 2021 at 7:33 AM

      My problem with 4 pods is at present only two teams would be chosen for the SEC championship. How would those two be selected fairly?
      Fairly to me means zero input from ESPN or anywhere on the list some sort of eyeball test.

      If they do go to pods soon I believe it would be done with the veiled threat of a future 4 team SEC playoff if there is not a 12 team National playoff approved. Leverage is more money for the win.

      The SEC has many options to counter any alliance. One being raising scholarships from 25 to 30 or 35 per team per year. Take away more top talent from the rest of CFB err I meant to say to allow more student athletes to better themselves. Yeah that’s it.

      Liked by 2 people

      • eethomaswfnc
        August 26, 2021 at 7:44 AM

        It will be the 2 best conference records in that case.

        I admit that I like the division format. It’s simple and easy to understand. Slive and Sankey screwed it up when they went and brought in Missouri.

        Like

      • Holiday Inn Bagman
        August 26, 2021 at 7:50 AM

        We’ve found a way to break ties in the divisions for a long time. This got me curious of what would have been different over last 10 years if SEC champ game was top 2 conference records.

        ‘20 – Texas A&M v Bama
        ‘17 – 3 way tie: UGA/Bama/Auburn
        ‘13 – 3 way tie: Mizzou/Auburn/Bama

        2020 seems pretty fair – A&M beat Florida on the field. Not sure how you shake out the other seasons.

        Like

    • stoopnagle
      August 26, 2021 at 8:24 AM

      It’s so much easier to just assign each program three permanent games and rotate the rest.

      Liked by 2 people

  2. Hogbody Spradlin
    August 26, 2021 at 7:23 AM

    Have we played Texas since the ‘what time is it’ game?

    Like

  3. Biggen
    August 26, 2021 at 7:23 AM

    Pod… It sounds so… Alien. I hope that moniker doesn’t stick. How about sector or district or quarter??

    Like

  4. W Cobb Dawg
    August 26, 2021 at 8:13 AM

    Open the pod door, Greg!

    Liked by 2 people

  5. uga97
    August 26, 2021 at 8:37 AM

    Tennessee is forever Bamas whipping post.

    Like

  6. The Truth
    August 26, 2021 at 8:51 AM

    Nine games —three permanent opponents peculiar to each team, mixed and matched in a way that respects history and competitive balance, then the other 12 home and away over a four year period. This would be awesome.

    Liked by 1 person

    • whybotherdude
      August 26, 2021 at 11:10 AM

      Instead of Pods or divisions each team would have 3 teams they could “Choose” as permanent opponents then the other 6, or 7, could be randomized as to cover the remaining teams so each team is covered in a reasonable time frame both home and away.
      The two to play for the SEC championship are the two with the best conference record with head to head breaking any ties and after that the highest ranked of the tied teams.
      This keeps one Pod or division from being super strong and one very weak.
      I like that idea.
      UGA could make uf, auburn and ut permenant
      uf could make UGA, ut and LSU
      texas could do ou, a&m and mizzou
      and so on to cover everyone

      Like

  7. ericstrattonrushchairmandamngladtomeetyou
    August 26, 2021 at 9:21 AM

    With every one of these changes we get further away from fairness. The SEC has gone the wrong way on this. We should have kicked out the most recent 4 teams and gone to a 9 game round robin schedule so each team plays every other team every year. That’s the only way to get a true conference champion. If the playoff goes to 12 teams it makes sense financially too because the SEC will always have multiple teams in the playoff and this way there will be fewer teams to split the playoff money. Under this theory I also would be in favor of keeping ATM and booting Vandy because ATM is likely to make the playoff whereas Vandy is just a leech.

    Like

  8. Sanford222view
    August 26, 2021 at 9:51 AM

    I hope they keep the divisions and move Mizzou to the West while moving Bama and Auburn to the East.

    Like

  9. godawgs1701
    August 26, 2021 at 11:20 AM

    Oh, goody, it sounds like we’re about to get to go to Auburn a few more times in a row!

    Liked by 1 person

  10. ANDREW SELLERS
    August 26, 2021 at 12:56 PM

    uga ala
    fla aub
    usc(e) vandy
    ken tenn
    First pod – group plays every year and plays 1 team from each group from second pod every year
    lsu tx
    mizz okl
    ole ark
    msst txam
    Second pod – group plays every year and plays 1 team from each group from first pod every year.
    9 game conference schedule – best record from the two groups plays in the seccg.

    Thoughts?

    Like

  11. Dawg in Austin
    August 26, 2021 at 12:56 PM

    I really love the 3 permanent opponents for each team model, with 2 being tough and one not. Everyone is happy with that – schedules are balanced, you play everyone every 3-4 years, key rivalries are maintained, etc. Screw divisions and pods.

    Like