📡 Column: SEC again bends to Alabama's pressure, proving nothing has changed - AuburnWire (+ P Marshall weighs in.)

[SEC Sports]

Column: SEC again bends to Alabama's pressure, proving nothing has changed

SEC fans already knew what was coming even before the announcement on Friday evening happened. Alabama, yes that Alabama that loves to go on and on about its, I'm guessing now, 54 national championships, would get its way. Lord Saban had sent a message to the nearby…

auburnwire.usatoday.com

SEC fans already knew what was coming even before the announcement on Friday evening happened.

Alabama, yes that Alabama that loves to go on and on about its, I’m guessing now, 54 national championships, would get its way. Lord Saban had sent a message to the nearby SEC office in Birmingham and he was upset.

The SEC and commissioner Greg Sankey broke down to the almighty Crimson Tide. How DARE the Crimson Tide have to play the teams such as Florida on their upcoming schedule as planned? How DARE the SEC not give anything but the final rose to Alabama?

This will never change, not as long as the SEC office is in Birmingham. If you have ever been to Alabama’s largest city, you will notice that the majority of it wear crimson including the lawyers and powers that are in the city. It has a ‘Bama stronghold that is palpable inside it. You think that doesn’t make a difference at the conference office? You think the commissioner, even as an outsider from New York State, doesn’t feel that or hear about it every day?

If so, I have some fine real estate for you in central Nevada.

It’s not that ‘Bama got the goods. Sure, playing Kentucky, albeit in Tuscaloosa, is still a good game, but matching the Crimson Tide up against Missouri (wow, poor Mizzou with that schedule) is just insulting to the fans of the other 13 schools in the conference.

There’s money to be made, though, and the conference is banking on both Alabama and Georgia, who somehow got off with an away game at Arkansas and hosting Mississippi State, to play for a spot, or if not two, spots in the College Football Playoff. It makes business sense to do that.

If only Sankey would answer some questions that, as Phillip Marshall of Auburn Undercover put it, weren’t lobbed up by media members of the SEC Network.

There really hasn’t been any explanation for how the two extra opponents were chosen and I seriously doubt any will ever be given. All we know is that, per reports, Alabama and Florida complained about the original scheduling and, with Saban and the Tide backing it, got their way. Dan Mullen, who spends more time talking about his shoes than disciplining his players, loves it that way and, by joining forces with the almighty Crimson Tide, knew that his message would be heard.

It’s not as if Auburn drew murderer’s row, either. A game at South Carolina and hosting Tennessee are both should-win games for the Tigers, but the fact that the SEC basically said “screw you” to Arkansas and Missouri while welcoming ‘Bama, UGA and Florida’s (who does still have to travel to Texas A&M) wishes says a lot about the leadership of the conference.

Much like the Iron Bowl prior to 1989, the status of the SEC will remain the same as long as its headquarters stay in Birmingham. Deals will be made. Dinners and drinks will be bought. Alabama will get the special treatment.

Let’s just act shocked when the people working the front desk at the conference’s office, much like the ticket takers at Legion Field even for an Auburn home game, are wearing a houndstooth hat.

 

[RollllTide!]

Allbarn hack

 

[mando]

Must honestly be miserable to be a Barner. Let me find something to complain about related to all of the injustices against everyone not named Bama. Bama has so warped generations of Barners (and other fan bases) they do not even know how pathetic they are. Sure moving the SEC office from Birmingham will solve all the injustices and woes of the evil Bama empire.

You can't spell Barner w/o pathetic loser...

Roll Tide!!!!!!!

 

[JoseyWalesTheOutlaw]

F auburn and the horse they rode in on

 

[mando]

Have to add one more thing, this article sounds like someone that is/would be part of the Woke stupidity and what is truly wrong with this country.

 

[MunchyOs]

In all likelihood, the end result will be the same for everyone anyway. A final record of 0-0 for 2020. But... those jerk offs will STILL complain no doubt

 

[BamaFan334]

Wow, what a loser. What baffles me is that an editor would allow this to be published.

 

[rick4bama]

Wow, what a loser. What baffles me is that an editor would allow this to be published.

He from that cow patty U!

 

[TerryP]

Wow, what a loser. What baffles me is that an editor would allow this to be published.

He is the editor.

 

[50+yeartidefan]

Stupid....stupid.....
Bama gets 2 of top 3 in east...
And a mid tier in KY...
Whinny AU idiots

 

[XXL TideFan]

They would whine about Bama’s special treatment if we played a 16 game NFL season. Bama is getting too much TV time

 

[18Champs]

Like it or hate it, it is clear that the Southeastern Conference leaned heavily on last season’s standings to determine the two games each team would add to complete pandemic-altered 10-game schedules.

Though it was impossible to always use any formula, because each team already had two cross-divisional games on their schedules along with games against all the opponents in their divisions, it seems the SEC office stuck to it as well as they could. You can call it giving certain teams a break, but it was much like seeding teams for a tournament.

Among other issues the SEC had to figure out was how to deal with the difference between the West and East Divisions. Though the gap has closed somewhat, the West remains clearly stronger. Four teams from the West - No. 3 Alabama, No. 4 Georgia, No. 5 LSU, No. 11 Auburn and No. 13 Texas A&M - are ranked in the coaches preseason top 13. Two teams from the East - No. 4 Georgia and No. 8 Florida - are from the East. All the new games, clearly, had to be cross-divisional games.

No one has told me anything about the process, but it seems obvious. Here is how I see it having unfolded.

Three East Division teams – South Carolina, Missouri and Kentucky had 3-5 SEC records. Vanderbilt was clearly last at 1-7. Tennessee was 5-3, Florida was 6-2 and Georgia was 7-1. In the West, LSU was 8-0, Alabama was 6-2, Auburn was 5-3, Texas A&M was 4-4, Mississippi State was 3-5, Ole Miss was 2-6 and Arkansas was 0-8.

LSU, as the best team in the West, drew Vanderbilt, the worst team in the East, and Missouri. Alabama, as the No. 2 team in the West, drew Missouri and Kentucky. Auburn, as the No. 3 team in the West, drew South Carolina and Tennessee because Kentucky was already on the schedule.

The only game added between two teams ranked in the preseason coaches poll was Texas A&M, the No. 4 team in the West, against Florida, the No. 2 team in the East.

I still believe it would have been simpler and better to play the next opponents in each team’s rotation. That was the plan early on, but Florida complained about having to do what Auburn does every year and play Alabama, Georgia, LSU and Texas A&M in the same season. I can’t say that was the reason Sankey and his staff decided to go a different way, but there can be no dispute the end result was what Florida and, probably, Alabama got what they wanted. They don’t have to play each other.

East Divisions teams’ schedules got tougher because there are more good and potentially good teams in the West than in the East.

Regardless, it’s done now. Auburn, with home games against No. 5 LSU, Arkansas, No. 11 Texas A&M, Kentucky and Tennessee and road games at No. 4 Georgia, No. 3 Alabama, Ole Miss, Mississippi State and South Carolina with one open date during the season, faces an unprecedented gauntlet. So also do others in the SEC.

The only differences between Auburn’s and Alabama’s schedules are that Auburn plays South Carolina and Alabama plays Missouri. Otherwise, they play the same teams except when they play each other.

 

[Crimson&WhiteGecko]

I would have love to see us play UF instead of MO. Anyway...

 

[252BAMA]

Like it or hate it, it is clear that the Southeastern Conference leaned heavily on last season’s standings to determine the two games each team would add to complete pandemic-altered 10-game schedules.

Though it was impossible to always use any formula, because each team already had two cross-divisional games on their schedules along with games against all the opponents in their divisions, it seems the SEC office stuck to it as well as they could. You can call it giving certain teams a break, but it was much like seeding teams for a tournament.

Among other issues the SEC had to figure out was how to deal with the difference between the West and East Divisions. Though the gap has closed somewhat, the West remains clearly stronger. Four teams from the West - No. 3 Alabama, No. 4 Georgia, No. 5 LSU, No. 11 Auburn and No. 13 Texas A&M - are ranked in the coaches preseason top 13. Two teams from the East - No. 4 Georgia and No. 8 Florida - are from the East. All the new games, clearly, had to be cross-divisional games.

No one has told me anything about the process, but it seems obvious. Here is how I see it having unfolded.

Three East Division teams – South Carolina, Missouri and Kentucky had 3-5 SEC records. Vanderbilt was clearly last at 1-7. Tennessee was 5-3, Florida was 6-2 and Georgia was 7-1. In the West, LSU was 8-0, Alabama was 6-2, Auburn was 5-3, Texas A&M was 4-4, Mississippi State was 3-5, Ole Miss was 2-6 and Arkansas was 0-8.

LSU, as the best team in the West, drew Vanderbilt, the worst team in the East, and Missouri. Alabama, as the No. 2 team in the West, drew Missouri and Kentucky. Auburn, as the No. 3 team in the West, drew South Carolina and Tennessee because Kentucky was already on the schedule.

The only game added between two teams ranked in the preseason coaches poll was Texas A&M, the No. 4 team in the West, against Florida, the No. 2 team in the East.

I still believe it would have been simpler and better to play the next opponents in each team’s rotation. That was the plan early on, but Florida complained about having to do what Auburn does every year and play Alabama, Georgia, LSU and Texas A&M in the same season. I can’t say that was the reason Sankey and his staff decided to go a different way, but there can be no dispute the end result was what Florida and, probably, Alabama got what they wanted. They don’t have to play each other.

East Divisions teams’ schedules got tougher because there are more good and potentially good teams in the West than in the East.

Regardless, it’s done now. Auburn, with home games against No. 5 LSU, Arkansas, No. 11 Texas A&M, Kentucky and Tennessee and road games at No. 4 Georgia, No. 3 Alabama, Ole Miss, Mississippi State and South Carolina with one open date during the season, faces an unprecedented gauntlet. So also do others in the SEC.

The only differences between Auburn’s and Alabama’s schedules are that Auburn plays South Carolina and Alabama plays Missouri. Otherwise, they play the same teams except when they play each other.

It's not much more, if any, than simple seeding. The SEC could have saved themselves some (not all) grief if they had just come out and said that's what they were going to do. 1 vs 7, 2 vs 6, 3 vs 5, and 4 vs 4.

 

[TerryP]

The SEC could have saved themselves some (not all) grief if they had just come out and said that's what they were going to do. 1 vs 7, 2 vs 6, 3 vs 5, and 4 vs 4

Ya know, the last 'word' we got mid-week was there were two schedules getting the most traction: the next two years opponents or a schedule based on strength of schedule. The latter is what they decided upon.

 

[252BAMA]

Ya know, the last 'word' we got mid-week was there were two schedules getting the most traction: the next two years opponents or a schedule based on strength of schedule. The latter is what they decided upon.

Strength of schedule is too sophisticated for the simple barner mind. They might ( just might ) comprehend 1 vs 7, 2 vs 6, etc.

 

[TerryP]

Strength of schedule is too sophisticated for the simple barner mind. They might ( just might ) comprehend 1 vs 7, 2 vs 6, etc.

There's one thing they still don't get.

If we look at the SEC, there are six teams we can safely say "rule the roost:" UA, AU, LSU, UF, UGA, and A&M. If we go by last years finish, we can add UT to that mix. UT, you may ask? Remember, they finished 5-3 last season (as did AU) and better than A&M.

Bama can't not play itself. There's your 'breaking news' for the day. But, this also means Bama is playing six of the top seven teams in the conference.

 

[TerryP]

Not mine...found it on the 'webs...

 

[Brandon Van de Graaff]

A more thoughtful and less lazy or clickbaity article would dive into the reasons why the SEC did what they did. The gave the top teams a break to protect their golden eggs in the hopes that there is still a playoff somehow, which is what they should have done IMO. In a year when revenue is going to be bled, I'd think AD's of teams with no shot at titles (or even bowls since there won't be any), like everyone other than Alabama, UGA, LSU, UF, and maybe auburn, would easily see the tradeoff of harder schedules for a greater shot some post season shared revenue. Sort of a, taking one for the team and getting a small piece of the pie at the end of the day type of thing. Not hard to see a scenario where the SEC gets 2 teams in again, especially with other conferences possibly bowing out. It wouldn't be a ton of money, but every dollar will help the schools this year, and that's a good way to generate a bit of a payday.

[This is a post of me trying to be positive and pretend the SEC plays a full season and there is indeed a playoff]

 

[tider79]

typical whiny, second fiddle. red headed step-child syndromic, barn hack.....