How SEC Football Should Reorganize Its Divisions

[bamawriter]

Not true at all. I'm no gamecocks fan, but they had 9 wins in '01 ... 8 in '00 ... 8 wins in both '88 and '87 ... 10 wins in '84, another pair of 8-win seasons in '79 and '80. They go hot and cold, yes, but at least there's heat from time to time.

You should take a look at who USCe was playing during their run as an independent.

For instance, of the 16 wins between '87 and '88, only five were over teams with winning records.

 

[VFL-82-JP]

You should take a look at who USCe was playing during their run as an independent.

For instance, of the 16 wins between '87 and '88, only five were over teams with winning records.

Every time I prove you wrong at one level, you declare it's time to dig a level deeper, that your point will be made there. And then we go there, and it turns out you were wrong again.

Must we continue into this measurement of the relative strengths of each team's opponents?

Fact is, the East and West have been pretty much balanced most of their existence, with both sides having some doormats and some very good teams. Who those good teams are might shift over time, but it's always so.

It is only in the past seven years that the balance has been lost. I'm hoping we get it back starting this fall. You are, of course, hoping we don't. Being a Bama fan and all.

 

[99gator]

Every time I prove you wrong at one level, you declare it's time to dig a level deeper, that your point will be made there. And then we go there, and it turns out you were wrong again.

Must we continue into this measurement of the relative strengths of each team's opponents?

Fact is, the East and West have been pretty much balanced most of their existence, with both sides having some doormats and some very good teams. Who those good teams are might shift over time, but it's always so.

It is only in the past seven years that the balance has been lost. I'm hoping we get it back starting this fall. You are, of course, hoping we don't. Being a Bama fan and all.

I just dont see it.

Seems to me like that chart shows that SC and Mizzou dont measure up to Arky and A&M. In addition, kentucky and vandy dont measure up to ole miss and miss state.

I think its pretty clear which division is weaker and is likely to be weaker in the future.

Doesnt bother me. Should be happy about it. After all, we're in the East

 

[BaldBiker]

Without TSIO, college football would mean a whole lot less to me.

There is not another game in college football that would make me feel that way. TN/GA, TN/FL...while great games, don't mean nearly as much as TSIO to me.


Oh and F*** Bama!

 

[VFL-82-JP]

Seems to me like that chart shows that SC and Mizzou dont measure up to Arky and A&M. In addition, kentucky and vandy dont measure up to ole miss and miss state.

I think its pretty clear which division is weaker and is likely to be weaker in the future.

Now that, I can agree with. Our doormats are weaker than their doormats (but we both have doormats), both at present and historically. Our middle tier are weaker than their middle tier. And even our top tier doesn't measure up to their top tier, particularly the past seven years. Agree with all of that.

Until you get to your last line, the part I bolded. Past doesn't predict future, it's just the jumping off point for it. Change is inevitable; it is, in fact, the only thing you can count on. My hope is, the East cycles back up in coming years.

I'd rather win and be part of the strongest division in the strongest conference in America, rather than win and be part of the weak division of the strongest conference in America. That's just me, perhaps.

 

[99gator]

Now that, I can agree with. Our doormats are weaker than their doormats (but we both have doormats), both at present and historically. Our middle tier are weaker than their middle tier. And even our top tier doesn't measure up to their top tier, particularly the past seven years. Agree with all of that.

Until you get to your last line, the part I bolded. Past doesn't predict future, it's just the jumping off point for it. Change is inevitable; it is, in fact, the only thing you can count on. My hope is, the East cycles back up in coming years.

I'd rather win and be part of the strongest division in the strongest conference in America, rather than win and be part of the weak division of the strongest conference in America. That's just me, perhaps.

Vandy and Ky will suck until the end of time.

SC just lost their best coach ever.

Mizzou lost their best coach in 50 years.

Things dont look promising to me except the usual suspects....aided by their divisional brothers being whipping boys

 

[bamawriter]

Every time I prove you wrong at one level, you declare it's time to dig a level deeper, that your point will be made there. And then we go there, and it turns out you were wrong again.

You keep wanting to look at different timeframes, but only the ones that fit your thesis. When I bring up multiple timeframes, you start hemming and hawing.

This is the Reader's Digest version:

Ole Miss has won more games, and has a better lifetime winning % than South Carolina. And the context is important: Ole Miss was a charter member of the SEC, while South Carolina stayed in the SoCon after all the good teams left, then joined the thoroughly mediocre ACC (which produced a grand total of one national champion during USCe's stay), and then remained independent for 21 years, while taking on a vast assortment of also-rans.

Put simply: Ole Miss has a better record despite playing better teams throughout their history.

 

[BigOrangeLoyalist]

UGA/aub not really...

Oh yeah, in hindsight I guess you're right (in reference to)...

East:
Tennessee
Alabama
Florida
Georgia
South Carolina
Kentucky
Vanderbilt

West:
Auburn
Ole Miss
Miss State
Mizzou
Texas A&M
LSU
Arkansas


How about preserve Auburn/Alabama instead, UGA/Mizzou and UT/Arky for the permanent cross-divisional rivalries?

 

[VolPack22]

I could also get on board with this

• Division 1: Alabama, Mississippi State, Florida, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, and LSU.
• Division 2: Auburn, Ole Miss, Georgia, South Carolina, Vanderbilt, Missouri, Texas A&M.

Division 1 would be called the Champions Division and Division 2 would be the Losers Club.

 

[99gator]

Here's another way to look at the numbers that were posted earlier.

Alabama 430 > Georgia 390 (+40)
Auburn 370 < 383 Florida (-13)
LSU 360 < 371 Tennessee (-11)
Texas A&M 345>280 South Carolina (+65)
Arkansas 333>267 Missouri (+66)
Ole Miss 278>215 Kentucky (+63)
Mississippi State 259 > 171 Vanderbilt (+88)

I decided to group them together like this to make it easier to see just how big the difference is. Based on these numbers, schools from the SEC West have won 298 more football games than teams from the East since 1970.

I don’t think there is any way to deny the truth here.

But, to get back to something I mentioned earlier which was the notion that the East was so much better than the West in the 1990’s because of Florida and Tennessee. First of all, just to mention the rest of the East at that time…..the rest of the East was 32-62-2 vs the West in the 90’s. So, if you are a fan of the SEC East, you better hang your hat on Florida and Tennessee because you’ve got nothing else. Secondly, Alabama won the SEC in 1992 and 1999. Auburn went undefeated in 1993. Alabama was undefeated entering the SEC Championship game in 1994. 1995-1998 were the only seasons where there was a major discrepancy between the top of the East and the top of the West. Additionally, except for Arkansas in 1995, the West champion competed and put up a fight in the SEC Championship games played during those years. Those games were not laughers that were over before the ball was even kicked off.

Another fun little fact.....the combined record of Mississippi and Mississippi State vs. the SEC East in the 1990's....27-22

 

[jakez4ut]

Now that, I can agree with. Our doormats are weaker than their doormats (but we both have doormats), both at present and historically. Our middle tier are weaker than their middle tier. And even our top tier doesn't measure up to their top tier, particularly the past seven years. Agree with all of that.

Until you get to your last line, the part I bolded. Past doesn't predict future, it's just the jumping off point for it. Change is inevitable; it is, in fact, the only thing you can count on. My hope is, the East cycles back up in coming years.

I'd rather win and be part of the strongest division in the strongest conference in America, rather than win and be part of the weak division of the strongest conference in America. That's just me, perhaps.

but it does make it probable, 70% of the time.:unsure:

 

[jakez4ut]

Oh yeah, in hindsight I guess you're right (in reference to)...

East:
Tennessee
Alabama
Florida
Georgia
South Carolina
Kentucky
Vanderbilt

West:
Auburn
Ole Miss
Miss State
Mizzou
Texas A&M
LSU
Arkansas


How about preserve Auburn/Alabama instead, UGA/Mizzou and UT/Arky for the permanent cross-divisional rivalries?

Auburn/GA should be around for the same reasons TN/Bama.

realistically one of them probably has to go for this to really work right.

 

[D-rock]

I could also get on board with this

• Division 1: Alabama, Mississippi State, Florida, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, and LSU.
• Division 2: Auburn, Ole Miss, Georgia, South Carolina, Vanderbilt, Missouri, Texas A&M.

:loco:

 

[HuntlandVolinColo]

North: Tennessee, Kentucky, Vanderbilt, and NCst
East: Georgia, Florida, Auburn and South Carolina
South: Alabam, LSU, Ole Miss and MissSt
West: Arkansas, aTm, Mizzou and Kansas State or Oklahoma State

3-1-1-1 with 3 rotational games

So TN would play North division plus Auburn, Alabama, and Arkansas for cross-division rivals and Alabama would play Auburn, aTm and Tennessee

Year one TN plays the other 3 teams non-cross divisional rivals in South, Y2: East: Y3: West.

SECCG grows to 3 games and $50 million more in revenue

Or we could go with 3 divisions, 15 teams and a wild card.

East: Georgia, Kentucky, South Carolina, Tennessee and Vandy
South: Auburn, Alabama, Florida, Ole Miss and Miss St
West: aTm, Arkansas, Mizzou, LSU and Ok/OkSt or Kansas St

4 division games, 2 cross-division rivals and 2 or 3 rotational games with remaining teams

TN cross-division rivals: Alabama and Arkansas
AL: Tennessee and LSU
Aub: Georgia and Ark

 

[HuntlandVolinColo]

Oh yeah, in hindsight I guess you're right (in reference to)...

East:
Tennessee
Alabama
Florida
Georgia
South Carolina
Kentucky
Vanderbilt

West:
Auburn
Ole Miss
Miss State
Mizzou
Texas A&M
LSU
Arkansas


How about preserve Auburn/Alabama instead, UGA/Mizzou and UT/Arky for the permanent cross-divisional rivalries?

Yeah, let's put 4 of the best 5 teams in the East and let LSU run hog wild (pardon the pun).

 

[TNnative]

How about

East:
Tennessee
Florida
Georgia
South Carolina
Auburn
Kentucky

West:
Alabama
LSU
Arkansas
Miss St
Ole Miss
TAMU


Let Mizzou join the B1G and send Vandy to FCS

OSU and Michigan would veto that. They do not want Mizzou disrupting their universe.

Hell, if you moved Vanderbilt to the B1G, they could average a middle of the pack finish, rather than being the doormat they are in the SEC.. They might have a fighting chance at that conference title once in awhile if they upgrade facilities beyond the occasional paint job.

 

[508mikey]

leave well enough alone - just get the SEC title game at rotating sites instead of the effing Georgia Dome (which will thankfully be gone soon anyway)

 

[He_Made_It]

EAST
-------
Tennessee
Florida
Florida State
Georgia
Georgia Tech
Clemson
South Carolina
Virginia Tech

WEST
--------
Alabama
Auburn
Texas
Texas A&M
LSU
Oklahoma
Mississippi
Mississippi State

 

[VFL-82-JP]

EAST
-------
Tennessee
Florida
Florida State
Georgia
Georgia Tech
Clemson
South Carolina
Virginia Tech

WEST
--------
Alabama
Auburn
Texas
Texas A&M
LSU
Oklahoma
Mississippi
Mississippi State

That would be a loaded conference

Add FSU, Clemson, Ga Tech, Va Tech, in exchange for Kentucky, Vandy, Mizzou...
Add Texas, Oklahoma, in exchange for Arkansas...

11 or 12 programs who have won NCs, another 2 or 3 having played in a NC game...

Pretty heavily loaded conference. :hi:

 

[Plano Vol]

There are a lot of UT fans on this board that don't believe the hatred is still there between Bama and TN. I've tried to tell them that it is still alive and well, but they refuse to believe.

I visit the Bama boards every year before the game just to ensure that the hatred is alive and well. I've not been disappointed yet.

That's the way it should be too. I hate Bama football. I respect it, but I hate it with a passion.

I personally have enough hate for bama to fill the stadium.

 

[KBVol]

Better yet:

• Division A: Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Kentucky, Mississippi State, Arkansas, South Carolina, Missouri
  
  [*]Division B: Alabama, Auburn, LSU, Texas A&M, Florida, Ole Miss, Georgia

Also, all future SEC Championships will be relocated to Neyland Stadium.

We have a winner.

 

[TrueOrange]

We have a winner.

I was a bit back and forth on whether to have Ole Miss or Arkansas in that top division (historically, the Razorbacks have a better winning percentage), but in the end I felt I should honor the long-held SEC tradition of "Ole Miss can't make it Atlanta."