brutality is the new reality

#1
UTFranklinVol

UTFranklinVol

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#1
MAN, looking at that 4 year conference schedule I'm sweating already 😅

I've said it before and I'll keep saying it. when the league expanded to 16 and now expanded to a 9 game conference schedule, there will no longer be such a thing as a "relatively easy" schedule. you're most likely going to play 5 or 6 or maybe 7 ranked teams every year and that's assuming your OOC power 4 game is against a crappy unranked team. every other year having up to 5 true road SEC games on top of that and you can expect the "new ceiling" for any team to be 10-2

couple this with a conference championship game and an expanded playoff structure and even the most elite football team will just be praying to make it through to the end.

this is the new reality.
 
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#2
#2
So what? I've personally watched enough games of UT vs ETSU or Alabama vs Chattanooga. If this means there is more quantity and quality competitive football against more closely matched teams, I don't see how this is a bad thing.

The only crowd standing outside yelling at the clouds over this is the group who thinks going 15-0 means something while beating up on teams like Samford and Wofford.
 
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#3
#3
UTFranklinVol said:
I've said it before and I'll keep saying it. when the league expanded to 16 and now expanded to a 9 game conference schedule, there will no longer be such a thing as a "relatively easy" schedule. you're most likely going to play 5 or 6 or maybe 7 ranked teams every year and that's assuming your OOC power 4 game is against a crappy unranked team. every other year having up to 5 true road SEC games on top of that and you can expect the "new ceiling" for any team to be 10-2

couple this with a conference championship game and an expanded playoff structure and even the most elite football team will just be praying to make it through to the end.

this is the new reality.
Click to expand...
SEC schedule hasn't been "easy" since it expanded in 1990.
It's been the high water mark for schedules across CFB since that time.
 
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#5
#5
Unconditional Surrender said:
9-3 Is the new playoff benchmark out of this league in 2026. It is bascailly like the NFL. Any given week type deal and you are fine with a rotten egg. I bet we don't see anyone run the table anytime soon.
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We shouldn’t be trying to play against Big 10 and Big 12 winners for a championship. There is no longer any equality in comparing records.
 
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#6
#6
howie87 said:
So what? I've personally watched enough games of UT vs ETSU or Alabama vs Chattanooga. If this means there is more quantity and quality competitive football against more closely matched teams, I don't see how this is a bad thing.

The only crowd standing outside yelling at the clouds over this is the group who thinks going 15-0 means something while beating up on teams like Samford and Wofford.
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1000000%
 
#7
#7
adam.vol said:
We shouldn’t be trying to play against Big 10 and Big 12 winners for a championship. There is no longer any equality in comparing records.
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Exactly. The SEC is so deep now that we have 11 teams that have held the AP #1 ranking at one point since 2000. No other league is even close to that.
 
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#8
#8
9 SEC games
1 P4 OOC
2 OOC paycheck games so the opponent can fund their team.

See no issue. We won't be the only SEC team having to do this. We need better conference team rotation anyway. Can't tell you last time we played LSU.
 
#11
#11
howie87 said:
So what? I've personally watched enough games of UT vs ETSU or Alabama vs Chattanooga. If this means there is more quantity and quality competitive football against more closely matched teams, I don't see how this is a bad thing.

The only crowd standing outside yelling at the clouds over this is the group who thinks going 15-0 means something while beating up on teams like Samford and Wofford.
Click to expand...
don't disagree about the quality of opponents, but the likelihood of blowing up your season just went up compared to the old model.

those games against Samford and Wofford are good reset games where you can get quality playing time for your backups and less chance of risking injury in a blowout.

at least we still get 2 of them.
 
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#12
#12
UTFranklinVol said:
I've said it before and I'll keep saying it. when the league expanded to 16 and now expanded to a 9 game conference schedule, there will no longer be such a thing as a "relatively easy" schedule. you're most likely going to play 5 or 6 or maybe 7 ranked teams every year and that's assuming your OOC power 4 game is against a crappy unranked team. every other year having up to 5 true road SEC games on top of that and you can expect the "new ceiling" for any team to be 10-2

couple this with a conference championship game and an expanded playoff structure and even the most elite football team will just be praying to make it through to the end.

this is the new reality.
Click to expand...
I'm ready! I don't want to spend any more money, TV or attendance wise, to watch us beat up UAB. We are paying guys to play big boy football! Go Vols!
 
#13
#13
Unconditional Surrender said:
9-3 Is the new playoff benchmark out of this league in 2026. It is bascailly like the NFL. Any given week type deal and you are fine with a rotten egg. I bet we don't see anyone run the table anytime soon.
Click to expand...
hopefully they weigh strength of schedule VERY heavily for the playoff selection/rankings.

The B10 having 18 teams and a LOT of crappy ones means you can skate through and mostly avoid playing OSU or PSU in a given year.

9 games in the B10 is not the same as 9 games in the SEC.
 
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#14
#14
Unconditional Surrender said:
9-3 Is the new playoff benchmark out of this league in 2026. It is bascailly like the NFL. Any given week type deal and you are fine with a rotten egg. I bet we don't see anyone run the table anytime soon.
Click to expand...
I personally don't see how an SEC team goes undefeated except on a very occasional basis vs having one most of the past couple decades.
 
#15
#15
It is going to be sweet chaos. I cant believe our 2026 home schedule will include Alabama, Auburn, LSU and Texas.

If they expand playoffs to 16 teams, those 4 extra teams will be seeded with 3-loss SEC teams.
 
#17
#17
UTFranklinVol said:
don't disagree about the quality of opponents, but the likelihood of blowing up your season just went up compared to the old model.

those games against Samford and Wofford are good reset games where you can get quality playing time for your backups and less chance of risking injury in a blowout.

at least we still get 2 of them.
Click to expand...
You could also make the the two "buy" games pre-season games like the NFL. We are all so hungry for football in August that fans would watch and local fans would fill the stadium. It would generate more revenue per year and the lesser schools could still get their "buy" game money. Fans would also get to the see the freshman and backups play prior to the regular season like a Spring game.
It does seem like every year the "buy games" seem to be losing their viewership. It almost felt like Tenn did not even have a game last weekend after the previous week of hype vs Georgia.
 
#18
#18
AlsaceFreak said:
You could also make the the two "buy" games pre-season games like the NFL. We are all so hungry for football in August that fans would watch and local fans would fill the stadium. It would generate more revenue per year and the lesser schools could still get their "buy" game money. Fans would also get to the see the freshman and backups play prior to the regular season like a Spring game.
It does seem like every year the "buy games" seem to be losing their viewership. It almost felt like Tenn did not even have a game last weekend after the previous week of hype vs Georgia.
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I think the team needs them spread out, not at the beginning. they need a breather to get guys healthy!
 
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#19
#19
DowsaTV said:
It is going to be sweet chaos. I cant believe our 2026 home schedule will include Alabama, Auburn, LSU and Texas.

If they expand playoffs to 16 teams, those 4 extra teams will be seeded with 3-loss SEC teams.
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if they expand to 16 teams I fully expect the top 5 SEC teams to always get in. I agree a 3 loss season is probably the benchmark for making it in.
 
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#21
#21
Coaches are probably the ones sweating the most right now. As we all know winning is the top priority in this profession and it just got a lot tougher. Hopefully there will be a reckoning that 10 wins will be the gold std or there is going to be a lot of coaching changes. Going to be interesting for sure.
 
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#22
#22
howie87 said:
So what? I've personally watched enough games of UT vs ETSU or Alabama vs Chattanooga. If this means there is more quantity and quality competitive football against more closely matched teams, I don't see how this is a bad thing.

The only crowd standing outside yelling at the clouds over this is the group who thinks going 15-0 means something while beating up on teams like Samford and Wofford.
Click to expand...

I’d much rather see good schedules and 9-3 teams making the playoffs…than strings of powder puffs
 
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#23
#23
howie87 said:
So what? I've personally watched enough games of UT vs ETSU or Alabama vs Chattanooga. If this means there is more quantity and quality competitive football against more closely matched teams, I don't see how this is a bad thing.

The only crowd standing outside yelling at the clouds over this is the group who thinks going 15-0 means something while beating up on teams like Samford and Wofford.
Click to expand...
I agree, with one reservation…the Big 10 and other conferences get to coast. So we’re at a disadvantage.
 
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#24
#24
UTFranklinVol said:
don't disagree about the quality of opponents, but the likelihood of blowing up your season just went up compared to the old model.

those games against Samford and Wofford are good reset games where you can get quality playing time for your backups and less chance of risking injury in a blowout.

at least we still get 2 of them.
Click to expand...

Yes but it’s equaled out by the fact that all the other teams have this same situation.
 
#25
#25
UTFranklinVol said:
don't disagree about the quality of opponents, but the likelihood of blowing up your season just went up compared to the old model.

those games against Samford and Wofford are good reset games where you can get quality playing time for your backups and less chance of risking injury in a blowout.

at least we still get 2 of them.
Click to expand...
Agreed with these schedules every team is now an injury or two away from ruining your whole season. I think this schedule is great for the fans but it will take its toll on a roster.
 
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