TNHopeful505
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jan 11, 2009
- Messages
- 11,322
- Likes
- 20,031
So, after our win at Auburn (which I'm still on Cloud Nine about), I got to thinking and looking, and it will be well into the 2020's before we get to play them again. I personally HATE the way that the SEC does it's scheduling. Some people talk about a 9 game SEC schedule or whatever. I would LOVE to see us have a 13 game schedule where we played everyone in the SEC every year, and no one else, but....I understand that would hurt smaller schools that really need that pay day.
But fact is, I love playing Bama every year, but hate that the Vols so rarely get to play in Death Valley, or at Jordan Hare, or at Kyle Field, and that our players don't get those environment except every few years. Those are awesome environments that make the SEC great (we're lucky to experience Neyland weekly).
So....two ideas for schedules here, let me know what you think:
1) An option I found from an article. Makes a 9 game SEC schedule, scraps divisions. Instead has "pods." Each team has 3 protected rivalries. He suggested ours be Bama, Florida, and Vandy, which I totally agree with (though some would wanna sub UGA for Florida, I'm sure).
You play those 3 teams each year. The remaining 10 teams in the conference you alternate. 5 you play on odd years, the other 5 you play on even years. So, in a 4 year span, we'll play Florida/Bama/Vandy 4 times, but we'll play everyone else twice, once at their place, once at home. This way all SEC teams play everywhere in a 4 year span at least once. And of course, with that only taking 9 games, the remaining 3 are for OOC games.
Author also suggested that eliminating divisions would allow a true championship game, not just one where the West is great, and the East gets demolished (which...aside from last year, has been the case). You'd truly get the two best teams. He also did this for the other conferences.
Here's the link: 4 reasons the SEC should replace divisions with this plan
2) A 13 Game Conference Schedule with 5 Power Conferences, and a "Coaches' Choice."
It's simple. Leave the OOC games to the smaller schools, and the big boys play each other every year. Our schedule consists of 13 games where we play every single SEC team, alternating home and away. Each team receives one rivalry week that they can "lock in." So, we can lock Alabama in for the TSIO, and Alabama can lock in Auburn for the Iron Bowl. The rest of the schedule is done by random.
The SEC is already at 14 teams, as is the Big 10, and ACC. The PAC 10 and Big 12 are not, and need 2 teams each. Personally, I'd love to see Notre Dame, UCF, Boise State and Houston fill those spots.
13 weeks of conference play. The 5 teams with the best record from each conference fill out the playoff spot, with the seeding determined by records first, and then if there is a tie, the team's season differential between points scored and points allowed.
The 6th team will be a team voted in by the coaches of the teams who did not make the playoffs, and will automatically play the #1 seed.
Yes, this eliminates the major paydays for the smaller schools. But I don't care about the financials of small schools. I'm just concerned about football awesomeness, and a SEC matchup intrigues me more than a matchup against UTEP.
Anyways.....what do you guys think? I'd love to see more SEC play against teams that we hardly ever get to see. My life goal is to watch the Vols play in every SEC stadium....and I hate that some of those are 6-8 years apart.
But fact is, I love playing Bama every year, but hate that the Vols so rarely get to play in Death Valley, or at Jordan Hare, or at Kyle Field, and that our players don't get those environment except every few years. Those are awesome environments that make the SEC great (we're lucky to experience Neyland weekly).
So....two ideas for schedules here, let me know what you think:
1) An option I found from an article. Makes a 9 game SEC schedule, scraps divisions. Instead has "pods." Each team has 3 protected rivalries. He suggested ours be Bama, Florida, and Vandy, which I totally agree with (though some would wanna sub UGA for Florida, I'm sure).
You play those 3 teams each year. The remaining 10 teams in the conference you alternate. 5 you play on odd years, the other 5 you play on even years. So, in a 4 year span, we'll play Florida/Bama/Vandy 4 times, but we'll play everyone else twice, once at their place, once at home. This way all SEC teams play everywhere in a 4 year span at least once. And of course, with that only taking 9 games, the remaining 3 are for OOC games.
Author also suggested that eliminating divisions would allow a true championship game, not just one where the West is great, and the East gets demolished (which...aside from last year, has been the case). You'd truly get the two best teams. He also did this for the other conferences.
Here's the link: 4 reasons the SEC should replace divisions with this plan
2) A 13 Game Conference Schedule with 5 Power Conferences, and a "Coaches' Choice."
It's simple. Leave the OOC games to the smaller schools, and the big boys play each other every year. Our schedule consists of 13 games where we play every single SEC team, alternating home and away. Each team receives one rivalry week that they can "lock in." So, we can lock Alabama in for the TSIO, and Alabama can lock in Auburn for the Iron Bowl. The rest of the schedule is done by random.
The SEC is already at 14 teams, as is the Big 10, and ACC. The PAC 10 and Big 12 are not, and need 2 teams each. Personally, I'd love to see Notre Dame, UCF, Boise State and Houston fill those spots.
13 weeks of conference play. The 5 teams with the best record from each conference fill out the playoff spot, with the seeding determined by records first, and then if there is a tie, the team's season differential between points scored and points allowed.
The 6th team will be a team voted in by the coaches of the teams who did not make the playoffs, and will automatically play the #1 seed.
Yes, this eliminates the major paydays for the smaller schools. But I don't care about the financials of small schools. I'm just concerned about football awesomeness, and a SEC matchup intrigues me more than a matchup against UTEP.
Anyways.....what do you guys think? I'd love to see more SEC play against teams that we hardly ever get to see. My life goal is to watch the Vols play in every SEC stadium....and I hate that some of those are 6-8 years apart.
