A Fairer Schedule

[BigOrangeMojo]

After reviewing the schedule yesterday, it was obvious that the SEC used the "Balanced SOS" approach to pick winners (LSU, UGA) and losers (UT, Arky, Mizzou). Granted, it is impossible to pick a 100% fair schedule for everyone but the schools that were the squeaky wheel (UGA) in these discussions got the grease.

Here is the biggest flaw with the schedule:

1. It bases the SOS on your two originally scheduled cross-divisional games. That is unfair. Let's take UT and UGA. In 2016 - 2018, Georgia's rotational cross-divisional foes were Ole Miss, MSU, and LSU while ours were AM, Auburn, and LSU. In 2020, UGA was going to have to pay the piper for those easier years and go to Bama while we were going to get Arky. Under any scenario, UGA was going to have the tougher schedule since they've benefited from an easier schedule in prior years so the SEC's logic is to give UGA an easier schedule.

While the SEC spent weeks figuring this out, I spent five mins coming up with a fairer approach. It essentially disregards the existing SOS and allows the Top 4 teams in each division (UGA, UF, UT, UK - Bama, LSU, Auburn, AM) one game against the Top 4 in the other division and 1 game against the bottom 3 in the other division. Here is how the 2 additional games would have looked in my scenario:

UGA - AM, MSU
UF - Auburn, Arky
UT - LSU, Ole Miss
UK - Bama, Arky
USC - Bama, MSU
Mizzou - AM, Ole Miss
Vandy - LSU, Auburn

Bama - UK, USC
LSU - UT, Vandy
Auburn - UF, Vandy
AM - UGA, Mizzou
Ole Miss - UT, Mizzou
MSU - UGA, USC
Arky - UF, UK

Thoughts?

 

[Glocker_Alum_2005]

I don't see the difference between LSU/Ole Miss and Auburn/A&M

 

[BigOrangeMojo]

I don't see the difference between LSU/Ole Miss and Auburn/A&M

It's not a huge difference but I'd rather have a game against 1 top 10 team and one rebuilding team than 2 games against borderline Top 10 teams....

 

[OrangeVolMan]

When a I looked at it, I focused on the East. Since the two division champions are playing in the SEC championship, I don’t really care how our schedule compares to the West teams, we are competing against the other East teams.
Tennessee and USC are the only two teams in the East that are playing 3 of the top 4 teams from the West. The other five teams in the East get to play 2 of the bottom 3 teams. This matters because there is a huge gap between the top 4 and bottom 3 in the West. Florida ended up with the easiest crossover schedule. They play the bottom 2 teams in the West along with the 2nd (I’m not convinced LSU will be that good based on what they lost but I used preseason rankings). and 4th best teams UGA has almost the same schedule as UT except they substitute MSU for AM, which makes UGA’s schedule easier than UTs.
Now let’s see if we get screwed again in the scheduling.

 

[OrangeVolMan]

I don't see the difference between LSU/Ole Miss and Auburn/A&M

Are you serious. Did you forget the blue font. LSU is not nearly as good as ranked. They lost most of their offense including coaches. You don’t think AM is head and shoulders better than Ole Miss. Ole Miss will be lucky to win 3 games.

 

[imw8n4u]

If they would base the division champ just on record against division opponents then none of this would matter. It would be disappointing to beat everyone in the east then watch someone you beat go to the championship game just because of cross division losses.

 

[Vol49er]

I don't see the difference between LSU/Ole Miss and Auburn/A&M

Really? Auburn and A&M are both going to be better than LSU and Ole Miss, and better than Ole Miss by a significant margin

 

[SpookyAction]

This whole discussion wouldn't be needed if we just plan to punch TAMU and AUB in the jaw on the field and make everyone dread playing us.
If we dominate, it doesn't matter who we play. Football is not a fair sport on or off the field. When I was younger our opponents did not matter. We were the bull in the chinashop.

I remember when LSU and UGA tore down goalpost when they finally beat us and it was in this century. I remember the goalposts coming down in Death Valley and the ESPN game announcer saying the LSU fans should enjoy it because UT is still UT and would be back just as strong the next season. The next season was 2001 and he was right and the future looked great.

A lot has happened since then. We fans became beaten down and tired after the collapse and failed reboots. Fans stopped planning to roll over opponents, but sliding by them. I am just as guilty as anybody. I think Pruitt is getting close to having the roster that isn't worried about the schedule. Our young men are going to play hard and smart and exploit existing weaknesses and create new ones.

There is the pregame coaches' pep talk. Now let's go knock Gus out of a job and make Jimbo's last two hairs fall out.
GBO!

 

[Crazy Ivan]

Your mistake was assuming the SEC was interested in creating a fairer schedule as opposed to ensuring at least one, if not two, SEC teams make the CFP.

 

[lilesrt]

Your mistake was assuming the SEC was interested in creating a fairer schedule as opposed to ensuring at least one, if not two, SEC teams make the CFP.

Preach. This was calculated. Unfortunately, politics span wide and deep.

 

[99gator]

You can’t add what you already play.

 

[BigSteve09]

We traded in @OU for A&M and Auburn. We went from 4 opportunities to make a statement (3 of them as big dogs) to 5 opportunities (only 2 as big dogs). This means more competitive football and more chances to score meaningful wins.

Yes, the league looked out for the best teams. I'm not surprised so I'm not mad. One day we will be great and they'll help us again.

In the meantime I'll take some good games

 

[BigSteve09]

Unless there's a vaccine we aren't playing all these games anyway. Shrug

 

[imw8n4u]

This whole discussion wouldn't be needed if we just plan to punch TAMU and AUB in the jaw on the field and make everyone dread playing us.
If we dominate, it doesn't matter who we play. Football is not a fair sport on or off the field. When I was younger our opponents did not matter. We were the bull in the chinashop.

I remember when LSU and UGA tore down goalpost when they finally beat us and it was in this century. I remember the goalposts coming down in Death Valley and the ESPN game announcer saying the LSU fans should enjoy it because UT is still UT and would be back just as strong the next season. The next season was 2001 and he was right and the future looked great.

A lot has happened since then. We fans became beaten down and tired after the collapse and failed reboots. Fans stopped planning to roll over opponents, but sliding by them. I am just as guilty as anybody. I think Pruitt is getting close to having the roster that isn't worried about the schedule. Our young men are going to play hard and smart and exploit existing weaknesses and create new ones.

There is the pregame coaches' pep talk. Now let's go knock Gus out of a job and make Jimbo's last two hairs fall out.
GBO!

Preach!

 

[CA_Vol]

I don't see the difference between LSU/Ole Miss and Auburn/A&M

Oh, that’s a pretty substantial difference. Auburn has Nix with another offseason under his belt and A&M is a degree of magnitude better than OM right now.

 

[CA_Vol]

Your mistake was assuming the SEC was interested in creating a fairer schedule as opposed to ensuring at least one, if not two, SEC teams make the CFP.

This is absolutely correct. And they didn’t even bother to hide it.

My biggest issue is the recruiting effects this has long term with the SEC clearing the path for Bama and UGA in this way.

 

[bamawriter]

Oh, that’s a pretty substantial difference. Auburn has Nix with another offseason under his belt and A&M is a degree of magnitude better than OM right now.

You forget that Malzahn's QBs tend to regress from year-to-year, not improve.

 

[bamawriter]

You can’t add what you already play.

Exactly. If the SEC were trying to put their thumb on the scale, why not say "we're starting frong scratch and ignoring the original schedule. Bama is now playing UT, Mizzou, USCe, and Vandy,"?

 

[BigOrangeMojo]

This is absolutely correct. And they didn’t even bother to hide it.

My biggest issue is the recruiting effects this has long term with the SEC clearing the path for Bama and UGA in this way.

To be fair to the SEC, I dont think they did any favors to Bama this year. Bama still has to play the best, 3rd, and 4th best teams in the East.

UGA and LSU on the other hand were given gifts...

 

[MrWiz]

I don't see the difference between LSU/Ole Miss and Auburn/A&M

Exactly!!

 

[99gator]

Exactly. If the SEC were trying to put their thumb on the scale, why not say "we're starting frong scratch and ignoring the original schedule. Bama is now playing UT, Mizzou, USCe, and Vandy,"?

Les Miles thought the thumb was always on the scale with Alabama playing Tennessee every year.

the elephant in the room is that there is not a big 3 in the East. There once was and may be again, but there currently isn’t.

for about 6 or 7 years (2010-2016), there wasnt really even a big 1 in the East. Georgia is there now, Florida‘s getting close to that level and Tennessee still has a while to go.

 

[77' Vol]

Playing the Best Teams makes you better. Upset one or two and you're then in "The Best" category! Vols can do it this year.

 

[TNbuc2]

Your mistake was assuming the SEC was interested in creating a fairer schedule as opposed to ensuring at least one, if not two, SEC teams make the CFP.

The SEC does appear to be protecting their Sacred Cows. Just my opinion but TN and A&M got the short straw in this one. Again, just my opinion.

 

[roberthunter]

Exactly. If the SEC were trying to put their thumb on the scale, why not say "we're starting frong scratch and ignoring the original schedule. Bama is now playing UT, Mizzou, USCe, and Vandy,"?

Because that would have been too agregious and obvious for even them to defend.

With the current method they can claim they are doing it under the cloak of "fairness".

 

[bamawriter]

Because that would have been too agregious and obvious for even them to defend.

With the current method they can claim they are doing it under the cloak of "fairness".

The "cloak of fairness" produced a result that's pretty close to fair.