At least five SEC coaches frustrated of SEC's lack of scheduling transparency

[Tnphil]

Tennessee’s schedule is very challenging, my question is which one is at home? I would rather have Auburn at home but with minimal fans I wonder what the impact would be? Bama And UGA really got the easiest opponents from the East. JMO.

Believe it's Auburn on the road and A&M at Home. I guess they will keep the other 8 as they were.

 

[HalfullVol]

We know how it was chosen. Who did the SEC think may make the playoffs? Give them a favorable schedule.

doesn't matter

there probably won't b any playoffs anyway

 

[RDU VOL#14]

Believe it's Auburn on the road and A&M at Home. I guess they will keep the other 8 as they were.

That’s what it is. Sucks that A&M won’t get the full effect of Neyland .

 

[HuntlandVolinColo]

They badly need to get the SEC HQ out of the rotten state of Alabama.

They have plenty of room for it in Nashville, they could even put it in stands at Commodore Stadium to help fill it up.

As far as the five coaches:

Arkansas: Georgia, Florida
Tennessee: aTm, Auburn
Mizzou: Bama, LSU
aTm: Tennessee, Florida

Kentucky: Bama, Ole Miss???

Maybe the 5th coach was just complaining about the sweetheart deal that Georgia and LSU got out of it.

 

[PACKERVOL]

Won’t stop Bama from claiming they won it.

Did you miss the press conference? They already claimed it yesterday!

 

[Tnphil]

Did you miss the press conference? They already claimed it yesterday!

The Foley Alabama coon hunters club could deem them as national champs and the Gumps would hang the banner. By some years they claim a NC it looks that's happened more than once.

 

[99gator]

I'm just going to play devil's advocate for a second and address the mindset here.

If you are the head coach at Arkansas, here's what you are going to have to do every year to win the SEC.

You're going to have to beat Alabama, Auburn, LSU, Texas A&M and division champion of the East. Not to mention that there will be some years where you would play Georgia during the season and Florida in the SEC title game. That's what you are going to have to do.....every.....single.....season.

So, unless you just are going to Arkansas to win 6 games and make the Massengill Independence Bowl, that's what you are going to need to do to be a champion.

So, this Boo Hoo stuff is an admission of weakness and fear that just has no place in the competitive field of athletics. Whether it's ridiculous or not, the mindset can't be "we have to play Georgia". The mindset has to be "Georgia has to play us".

And all this crying over fairness is that we have determined which teams are better than others before the games have been played. For all we know, the best teams in the East are Vanderbilt and Kentucky and the best teams in the West are Mississippi and Mississippi State.

It's one thing for fans who aren't competing to think, "oh, no. alabama's going to kill us." It's another thing for coaches and players to think that way.

One of the things that I will forever love about Steve Spurrier is when he came to Florida the expectation was to win the conference every year and win every time you went on the field. He never let his team have the attitude that the opponent was superior.

 

[Vol524]

It is not about someone being superior. It is about the way the SEC takes care of Bama and Georgia. Bama and Florida should have played each other. It would give them a little more competition. Bama got KY instead. I understand you need to try and have an SEC team in the NC playoffs. But, this year there is not going to be a NC. I am not upset about our schedule. I just wish FL and Bama played. I think that would be a much better game than KY. FL could use a little tougher schedule also. SMH

 

[99gator]

It is not about someone being superior. It is about the way the SEC takes care of Bama and Georgia. Bama and Florida should have played each other. It would give them a little more competition. Bama got KY instead. I understand you need to try and have an SEC team in the NC playoffs. But, this year there is not going to be a NC. I am not upset about our schedule. I just wish FL and Bama played. I think that would be a much better game than KY. FL could use a little tougher schedule also. SMH

I've explained this in other threads, but I'll do it again here.

The first problem is the East. Right off the bat, Georgia and Florida's schedule looks light because they can only play one ranked team in the division (each other). Whereas, every other team in the division plays two ranked teams (Florida and Georgia). Well, sorry. Georgia can't play Georgia and Florida can't play Florida.

There are 4 ranked teams in the West. So, matching East teams to West teams and distributing ranked opponents evenly may very well be mathematically impossible.

As for the other situation. Georgia was already playing Alabama and Auburn. Do you give them LSU as well? So, LSU doesn't play Georgia. they already play Florida. Who else are you going to give LSU to beef up their schedule? Alabama was already playing Georgia and Tennessee. Do you give them Florida as well?

Just so you understand (and I know everyone here is in favor of whatever screws Bama), but what you are proclaiming to be "fair" (giving Alabama, Florida as an opponent), would be giving Alabama the toughest schedule possible for Alabama to have. Is that fair?

You could have given Florida, Auburn. But, Florida played Auburn last season. So, that's why I think they ended up with A&M.

But, there's really not a heck of a lot you could have done whether people want to accept that or not.

 

[Eastknox865]

Tennessee’s schedule is very challenging, my question is which one is at home? I would rather have Auburn at home but with minimal fans I wonder what the impact would be? Bama And UGA really got the easiest opponents from the East. JMO.

Auburn away A&M is home

 

[bamawriter]

As for the other situation. Georgia was already playing Alabama and Auburn. Do you give them LSU as well? So, LSU doesn't play Georgia. they already play Florida. Who else are you going to give LSU to beef up their schedule? Alabama was already playing Georgia and Tennessee. Do you give them Florida as well?

Just so you understand (and I know everyone here is in favor of whatever screws Bama), but what you are proclaiming to be "fair" (giving Alabama, Florida as an opponent), would be giving Alabama the toughest schedule possible for Alabama to have. Is that fair?

You know darn well that the answer is "Yes."

 

[chuck0303]

How much will this season matter in the minds of most? Even the recruits are getting a taste at the high school level of the chaos. And if we had to draw a West team I feel like we got the right guy to go against Auburn, CJP and CGM have coached against each other going back to HS. So, strap it on. We get screwed every non covid year because we play bammer. At least we get Candy every year as well.

And sadly, this may be the lost season if things don't turn around.

Will be interesting to see if this year's national champion will have an asterisk behind their name since some of the other conferences have decided not to play until maybe the spring. Sorry fellas, because you elected not to play until the spring then you can compete for next year's championship. For those conferences that have chosen to play seems like they should have a better chance of getting the big prize; not going to be easy in any case but when you eliminate a lot of the competition to the victor goes the spoils.

 

[Iam4utalways]

Based off who teams don’t play we have a regular schedule. Not playing 1 top tier SEC team and not playing 2 lower tier SEC teams. Not play 2 top tier teams would be easier and not playing only lower tier teams would be harder, just Arkansas.

Team rate rate of teams not playing
Vols T 1 top, 2 lower

Florida T easier 2 top, 1 lower
Ole Miss L easier 2 top, 1 lower
Miss St L easier 2 top, 1 lower
Kentucky L easier 2 top, 1 lower
Georgia T easier 2 top, 1 lower
LSU T easier 2 top, 1 lower
Mo L easier 2 top, 1 lower
Vandy L easier 2 top, 1 lower
TA&M T easier 2 top, 1 lower

Alabama T regular 1 top, 2 lower
S.C. L regular 1 top, 2 lower
Auburn T regular 1 top, 2 lower

Arkansas L harder 3 lower

Seems about right except for Arkansas. They have a real beef about their schedule.

Easy fix we could play LSU and Arkansas and Vandy could play.

 

[Iam4utalways]

Better to let them do this stupid stuff in a year that will in all likelihood be denoted with an asterisk at the minimum. Everyone will have to play their normally scheduled opponents eventually... Hopefully in seasons that won't be debated.

The asterisk can be for the Vols.
*Played a 10 game SEC only regular season schedule which is harder than any other typical schedule ever in the history of College Football. Not counting the SECG and playing another SEC team in the CFP.

13-0. When have I seen that before?

 

[HuntlandVolinColo]

I wonder what the Vegas odds are of Arkansas winning out 13-0?

 

[TNnative]

I wonder what the Vegas odds are of Arkansas winning out 13-0?

If rogue girl scout troops steal their opponents uniforms, and hold the actual teams hostage until the game is played? High. Otherwise? Infinity to one.

 

[MWAVolfan]

Based off who teams don’t play we have a regular schedule. Not playing 1 top tier SEC team and not playing 2 lower tier SEC teams. Not play 2 top tier teams would be easier and not playing only lower tier teams would be harder, just Arkansas.

Team rate rate of teams not playing
Vols T 1 top, 2 lower

Florida T easier 2 top, 1 lower
Ole Miss L easier 2 top, 1 lower
Miss St L easier 2 top, 1 lower
Kentucky L easier 2 top, 1 lower
Georgia T easier 2 top, 1 lower
LSU T easier 2 top, 1 lower
Mo L easier 2 top, 1 lower
Vandy L easier 2 top, 1 lower
TA&M T easier 2 top, 1 lower

Alabama T regular 1 top, 2 lower
S.C. L regular 1 top, 2 lower
Auburn T regular 1 top, 2 lower

Arkansas L harder 3 lower

Seems about right except for Arkansas. They have a real beef about their schedule.

Easy fix we could play LSU and Arkansas and Vandy could play.

Lets talk about this in the context of reality for a minute. Arkansas and Missouri are coming off a 2019 season where they won a combined 3 SEC games (Arkansas contributed zero to that number). Both have new coaches who combined have 1 year of head coaching experience and zero in the SEC. Does it really matter how hard their schedule is? How many games were they going to win anyways? Both of these teams are basement dwellers and literally every team they play is going to be tougher than they are in comparison.

Georgia is apparently "being taken care of" by the SEC which has never happened in my lifetime anyway. But lets look at it. They already play Bama and Auburn along with Florida and Tennessee. You going to swap out Arkansas for LSU? Make them play Bama and Auburn and Florida and LSU and Tennessee? You cant make them swap Arkansas for TAMU because Tennessee already plays both of those teams.

And Bama's schedule is right on par with Tennessee's schedule. They both play Auburn, Arkansas, TAMU, Georgia, Kentucky, Misouri and of course each other (right there the schedules are 70% identical). The uncommon opponents for Bama are LSU on the road, Ole Miss and MSU. And for Tennessee they are Florida at home, USCjr and Vandy. Where is the real difference? How is Bama getting off light?

LSU's schedule is 80% identical to UTs. LSUs uncommon opponents are Ole Miss and MSU and Tennessee's uncommon opponents are UGA and UK. Advantage to LSU there, but then again LSU has to play Auburn, Florida and TAMU all on the road where Tennessee only has 2 tough road games UGA and Auburn.


I just don't see where the gross injustice is here.

 

[MWAVolfan]

Tennessee’s schedule is very challenging, my question is which one is at home? I would rather have Auburn at home but with minimal fans I wonder what the impact would be? Bama And UGA really got the easiest opponents from the East. JMO.

I'm guessing there's one or two mistakes in this post?

 

[Iam4utalways]

Lets talk about this in the context of reality for a minute. Arkansas and Missouri are coming off a 2019 season where they won a combined 3 SEC games (Arkansas contributed zero to that number). Both have new coaches who combined have 1 year of head coaching experience and zero in the SEC. Does it really matter how hard their schedule is? How many games were they going to win anyways? Both of these teams are basement dwellers and literally every team they play is going to be tougher than they are in comparison.

Georgia is apparently "being taken care of" by the SEC which has never happened in my lifetime anyway. But lets look at it. They already play Bama and Auburn along with Florida and Tennessee. You going to swap out Arkansas for LSU? Make them play Bama and Auburn and Florida and LSU and Tennessee? You cant make them swap Arkansas for TAMU because Tennessee already plays both of those teams.

And Bama's schedule is right on par with Tennessee's schedule. They both play Auburn, Arkansas, TAMU, Georgia, Kentucky, Misouri and of course each other (right there the schedules are 70% identical). The uncommon opponents for Bama are LSU on the road, Ole Miss and MSU. And for Tennessee they are Florida at home, USCjr and Vandy. Where is the real difference? How is Bama getting off light?

LSU's schedule is 80% identical to UTs. LSUs uncommon opponents are Ole Miss and MSU and Tennessee's uncommon opponents are UGA and UK. Advantage to LSU there, but then again LSU has to play Auburn, Florida and TAMU all on the road where Tennessee only has 2 tough road games UGA and Auburn.


I just don't see where the gross injustice is here.

My bad. When I say we I’m referring to the Volunteers.

The Vols should swap Arkansas for LSU. Then let Vandy play Arkansas. It would give Arkansas some relief and toughen up LSU’s schedule.

As for Ga they don’t play LSU, Ole Miss and A&M. Maybe they would swap and play A&M and let Ky play Arkansas.

As for Mo they don’t play Auburn, A&M and Ole Miss. like you said, does it really matter with them, they will be out matched by all top tier and most lower tier teams as well, so why bother.


It seems the SEC was trying to respect the cross divisional games that were already scheduled rather than scrape the whole cross schedule in hopes of a better balance.

Arkansas with the toughest schedule(They don’t play Vandy, S.C. and Ky.) is a gross injustice to them, but like you said, they are out matched too, so why bother.

 

[kbear01]

It isn't going to matter. The 2020 season isn't going to happen. Start looking at that 2021 schedule, now.

 

[Glocker_Alum_2005]

Here's the deal, go out and beat a higher ranked KY team, at least split Auburn and A&M, handle business against Mo, Vandy, Arky, and SC. 6-4. I think would exceed expectations. And its the best we can hope for with JG.

 

[Iam4utalways]

Here's the deal, go out and beat a higher ranked KY team, at least split Auburn and A&M, handle business against Mo, Vandy, Arky, and SC. 6-4. I think would exceed expectations. And its the best we can hope for with JG.

That’s not how hope works.
We now have 5 top tier teams on our schedule vs 4 on our original schedule.

I expect our staff and team to put in the work and come up with a game plan to set us up for wins. With some luck 13-0 is in the cards.

QB play is the wild card.

 

[99gator]

After thinking about this further and putting it in simple terms, the SEC really appeared to attempt to create fairness for the "contenders" in the West.

Based on preseason rankings, there are two teams in the East that are head and shoulders above the rest. And they made sure that none of the four ranked teams in the West played both of them.

Auburn and Alabama have Georgia. LSU and Texas A&M have Florida. But, none of them have both. The worst any of them have it is to play Georgia and Tennessee or Florida and Tennessee.

I think it's really that simple. And for the other schools who are not contenders, I think the attitude was....."Your permanent cross division opponent is Vanderbilt, Kentucky, Mississippi, Mississippi State, etc. You get that every year. Be thankful, calm down and have a warm glass of shut the hell up."

So, I don't think anyone was interested in hearing complaints from Missouri, Arkansas, or whomever.

 

[TNnative]

After thinking about this further and putting it in simple terms, the SEC really appeared to attempt to create fairness for the "contenders" in the West.

Based on preseason rankings, there are two teams in the East that are head and shoulders about the rest. And they made sure that none of the four ranked teams in the West played both of them.

Auburn and Alabama have Georgia. LSU and Texas A&M have Florida. But, none of them have both. The worst any of them have it is to play Georgia and Tennessee or Florida and Tennessee.

I think it's really that simple. And for the other schools who are not contenders, I think the attitude was....."Your permanent cross division opponent is Vanderbilt, Kentucky, Mississippi, Mississippi State, etc. You get that every year. Be thankful, calm down and have a warm glass of shut the hell up."

So, I don't think anyone was interested in hearing complaints from Missouri, Arkansas, or whomever.

Trying to reconfigure schedules at this late date in the timetable set before them will lead to the SEC making sure the bartender gets the ingredients to warm shut the Hell up right. There is just no way to pull this off and please everyone.

 

[SayNoToJorts]

These rankings are arbitrary and seem skewed because UT is ranked #18 which automatically gives our opponents a “weak” game. Remove UT and the opponent being played when comparing schedules...

UT vs UGA (literally the exact same schedule when removing UT and UGA’s rankings)
UT: 2, 6, 8, 13, 20
UGA: 2, 6, 8, 13, 20

UT vs Bama
UT: 3, 6, 8, 13, 20
Bama: 3, 4, 8,13, 20

If we want our opponents to have a stronger schedule, we should probably just win some games and achieve a higher ranking