A View from Big Ben: You reap what you sow

[screenthis]

Well, when Texas & OK join the SEC and we go to an all SEC schedule they're not going to be able to avoid some competition. TX is getting better and you know OK will eventually fix their problems. After all, Bama only beat TX by 1 point. The SEC has always beat each other up and that's why our rankings are hard to maintain because we beat each other up while the cupcake conferences keep rising. Strength of Schedule should be the main factor along with Ws.

Agreed, and yet, you still get 'humans' making decisions like putting Alabama ahead of us in the Playoff Polling even though we won head to head and I believe had a tougher schedule.

 

[Butch s]

Agreed. Strength of schedule needs to be a big factor. I do believe TCU was going to be left out right up until the end when other contenders like Tennessee lost. The only caveat is that TCU did beat Michigan in the playoffs to make the championship game. How bad does that make Michigan look? Lastly, oh Georgia's schedule next year. What a cupcake. Maybe an expanded playoff will help prevent some of the 'cupcake' scheduling.

The Michigan game for tcu was a fluke. It is obvious they had absolutely no business being in the final 4 teams, and also finishing #2 in the ap poll, is an absolute joke

 

[Southeastern VFL]

Just bust up all the conferences and make 2 32 team conference like the NFL. Take the power 5 conference break them up and then realign them by region and let everybody play everybody and may the best team truly win.

 

[hUTch2002]

Agreed. Strength of schedule needs to be a big factor. I do believe TCU was going to be left out right up until the end when other contenders like Tennessee lost. The only caveat is that TCU did beat Michigan in the playoffs to make the championship game. How bad does that make Michigan look? Lastly, oh Georgia's schedule next year. What a cupcake. Maybe an expanded playoff will help prevent some of the 'cupcake' scheduling.

Michigan gift wrapped TCU 21 points. If they played 10 times Michigan wins 8. That night was one of the 2 though and that’s all that matters. UGA would’ve whipped Michigan too but not 65-7.

 

[Evan]

Its gonna be funseeing such a high amount of SEC teams in the playoffs. But the complaining and whining from big 10 fan boys is gonna be unbearable.

 

[Manchester Vol]

Not sure if final 4 with LSU and Tennessee would have been that good. LSU had their chance in the SECCG. Don’t think we could of hung with Bama and Georgia without Hooker.
Next year should be interesting since Georgia and Bama will have new QBs.

Either the NCAA or some governing body needs to enforce parity. Someway somehow it must be done. When we have a few schools playing a pro roster and no one else has it that’s not entertainment. And please tell me those four schools are the only ones in America that has good coaches. Bull crap. It’s cash.

There must be limits on top-tier recruits.

 

[AthensVol2007]

GA's schedule next year is embarrassing.

In their defense they were scheduled to play at OU next year and the SEC made them cancel it with OU coming to the SEC. That would’ve given them 10 games vs. P5 teams, it’s not their fault GT has gone full Sewanee the last 5 years.

 

[DawgInterloper]

65 -7

My grandfather was a farmer and he used to tell me that "you reap what you sow" and I found out it is no different in sport than in farming.

Whilst college football is the greatest sport on the planet in my opinion the playoffs has been a source of frustration for me (or to be more accurate, the selection of the teams). Yes, there is no fool proof system, whether it be the BCS era and a computer or the National Championship run by a room of 12 people. But there has always been one flaw and that is that teams are rewarded by record more than strength of record. If I was a AD I would apply for the weakest conference and schedule as many cupcake games I could get away with, this would almost guarantee a record of 11-1 or even 12-0 and I would walk into the playoffs every season (are you reading Clemson) . Why would you schedule an out of conference team like Pitt (ranked in the teens at the start of the season) when I already have Florida, LSU, Alabama, Georgia and Kentucky (all ranked when we played them) already on my schedule. 10 - 2 is a terrific achievement but it wont get you a look in to the final four.

But now we come to the "rub of the green" you may have recognized above the Tennessee 2022 schedule, because of that schedule I have memories for years of which none of those will be of the Akron or Ball State games. But if I return to my wearing my AD hat I would see it did not get me into the playoffs. The playoff committee forgot that sport in general is at its best when you simply can`t predict the result either before or even better, during the game. Just look at other examples like Ali v Frazier, Borg v McEnroe, Johnson v Bird, Senna v Prost or Federer v Nadal.

The good news is that we only have one more year of being served up teams like TCU and Cincinnati in the playoffs when from 2024, 3, 4 or maybe 5 SEC teams will make the final 12 and just watch, pending the seedings, how we could even have an all SEC final four (how mouthwatering would this year have been with Georgia, Alabama, LSU and Tennessee slugging it out).

Whilst you must give credit to Georgia (then they will have to return the compliment when the Vols win the NC) 64 -7 was an embarrassment

My Grandfather was right "you reap what you sow"

Go Vols

The idea of a more fair ranking system is always enticing, and elusive. If you ask a hundred different football fans or pundits or statisticians (the latter two are generally also fans) to rank 130 teams by strength of schedule, you'll get a hundred wildly different answers. And since the strength rating of each team depends on the strengths of all their opponents, the variables that ripple through the calculation are almost infinite. Plus, just like any ranking system, conference and team bias will enter the SOS rankings at every turn.

Also, the perceived and actual strength of an individual team waxes or wanes (or both) by a good margin over the course of a season, due to injuries, matchups, luck, personal life issues, officiating, weather, etc. IOW, the selection group can commission someone to distill all those 12 or 13 game schedules and outcomes down to a SOS number and incorporate that into the process, but I doubt we'll come any closer to a consistent "TRUTH" about which teams deserve to be in the playoff.

As for Georgia's schedule next season, definitely not inspiring, but also not "embarrassing" to UGA, because of factors beyond their control. SEC mandated cancellation of the Oklahoma game, and the decline of some of Georgia's annual rivals, are the primary causes. I do wish that UGA had long ago ended the lopsided Georgia Tech series, so perhaps they would've had another interesting P5 game on slate for '23 besides OU.

 

[nomads-11]

Since you brought up scheduling, Georgia is set up for a 3-peat next year. Open with UT-Martin, Ball State, SC at home, UAB, Auburn, KY at home, Vandy, Florida, Missouri and Ole Miss at home, UT, then GA Tech.

Yeah, that's about as easy as it gets.... rediculous.

 

[Remy]

I hope the NFL comes calling for Kirby and he has the itch to try it. That was a complete domination of the entire season.

Slow down just a little on Kirby. Lots of coaches and programs put it together for a good 3 or 4 year run. Fulmer's run from the 97 thru 2000 seasons included one NC and should have been another one, talent all over the place. But we fell off from that lofty height afterwards. Kirby just completed year 3 of a very hot streak, he may end up great again next year. Time will tell, but what will put him up there with Saban are what happens in years 5, 6, 7, and beyond not even next year.

 

[youcancallmeAl]

HOW does Georgia continue to get these easy schedules year after year? They play Alabama and LSU about every 8 years it seems. There needs to be to be an investigation into this contrived scheduling system. It fricken SUX!!!

iIt's Georgia's fault that they play puffballs for nonconf opponents. like UT will next season. But the SEC schedule isn't Georgia's fault. Not their fault Auburn is down, as is Florida, or that they get Ole Miss and not Bama or LSU. Dem's da breaks.

 

[fossilfiction]

Time will tell, but what will put him up there with Saban are what happens in years 5, 6, 7, and beyond not even next year.

Why is that the requirement for him to go to the NFL? I would prefer he did. The guy can coach and recruit. He can dip into the NFL and make me happy. It's that simple. I don't have a clue if he will win another one. I know his teams always look extremely well-coached no matter who the player or spot on the depth chart.

 

[Wolfeman_Vol]

Why is that the requirement for him to go to the NFL? I would prefer he did. The guy can coach and recruit. He can dip into the NFL and make me happy. It's that simple. I don't have a clue if he will win another one. I know his teams always look extremely well-coached no matter who the player or spot on the depth chart.

He tried and was mediocre there. Allegedly he left for Bama because Miami didn't sign Drew Brees.