🏈 Gus says he's now in favor of a nine game SEC schedule

[Max]

ATLANTA — In a rare moment of Iron Bowl unity, Auburn’s Gus Malzahn is joining Alabama’s Nick Saban as an advocate for the Southeastern Conference to play nine conference games.

“I’ve changed my tune,” Malzahn said. “I think Nick has been the only one for it. But nine, I’m to that point now. Nine I think is best for us moving forward to make the schedules more equal across the conference.”

The SEC plays eight conference games. Malzahn said he does not think any other SEC coaches have the same view. But the addition of his voice to Saban’s could be significant; two of the league’s most successful coaches are now publicly pushing for an additional conference game.

Among Power Five conferences, only the SEC and ACC play an eight-game conference schedule. The Big Ten, Big 12 and Pac-12 all play nine. Coaches and administrators from those leagues have contended that all leagues should play the same amount of conference games for overall consistency, especially as it relates to evaluating strength of schedule when choosing teams for the College Football Playoff. But Malzahn said he hasn’t considered the bigger picture.

“I just know our league and it’s what I think is fair,” he said.

With 14 teams, the SEC currently plays six games vs. divisional opponents and two vs. opponents from the other division, with one permanent cross-divisional rival.

Malzahn won’t say so, but his concern is likely tied to the Iron Bowl rivalry and what he sees as an imbalance in the scheduling related to permanent rivals. Auburn’s permanent SEC East rival is Georgia, while Alabama’s is a Tennessee program that has struggled for more than a decade. Malzahn has also harped recently on the scheduling quirk that has Auburn playing both Georgia and Alabama on the road or at home each November.

“I’ve kind of done a 180, just recently,” he said, “(after) looking at our conference and everything that goes with it: East, West, two new teams added to the league. My big thing is for the equity within the conference, the strength of schedule and trying to be fair.”

On Monday, SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey noted the eight-game schedule, as well as the format with one permanent and one rotating cross-division opponent, was “the clear preference” of the league’s members when they last reviewed options in 2014. He said it had been good for the league, which has placed teams in 11 of the last 12 national title games and won nine, and placed 10 teams in bowls for four consecutive seasons (from 2013-16). In 2016, the league required its members to play at least one Power Five nonconference opponent.

Sankey also said Monday he didn’t anticipate change in the scheduling philosophy, but expected “healthy and continued dialogue both now and in the future among our leadership.” With Iron Bowl leaders united, perhaps the conversation will begin to change.

Auburn's Gus Malzahn and Alabama's Nick Saban agree: SEC should play nine conference games

 

[bama alum]

Malzahn won’t say so, but his concern is likely tied to the Iron Bowl rivalry and what he sees as an imbalance in the scheduling related to permanent rivals. Auburn’s permanent SEC East rival is Georgia, while Alabama’s is a Tennessee program that has struggled for more than a decade. Malzahn has also harped recently on the scheduling quirk that has Auburn playing both Georgia and Alabama on the road or at home each November.

“I’ve kind of done a 180, just recently,” he said, “(after) looking at our conference and everything that goes with it: East, West, two new teams added to the league. My big thing is for the equity within the conference, the strength of schedule and trying to be fair.”

I take that as Gus Gus thinking, "I may never beat Bama again, so what else do I need to catch any kind of a break with the playoff committee?"

 

[TerryP]

Over the last few years they're always pointing at the schedule. It's just worded differently this year.

It is who Auburn has become. How much of it is media driven has to be taken into account as well, ya know? I didn't watch Malzahn but I'm betting it started with a reporter(s) leading him that way.

 

[Elderfalsedemigod]

Ole gus is a weathervane. Let the wind blow and he will turn in that direction

 

[Max]

AUBURN, Alabama — Gus Malzahn and Nick Saban rarely see eye to eye in the Iron Bowl rivalry.

But the two do share a common bond in what has become rare space in the Southeastern Conference: both coaches want a nine-game SEC schedule.

Saban has long advocated for a move to a nine-game slate in the SEC, but Malzahn recently changed his tune to side with his rival at Alabama, according to Dennis Dodd of CBSSports.com. Dodd caught up with Malzahn during a break Thursday at SEC Media Days.

"I've changed my tune. I'm all for the SEC having nine conference games to equal out the league as far as schedule," Malzahn told Dodd. "I think Nick [Saban]'s been the only one for it."

The SEC is sticking with a 6-1-1 scheduling model for the conference for the time being, however. The model features six games against divisional opponents, a permanent rival from the opposite division and a rotational opponent from the opposite division.

Malzahn didn't quite explain why he changed his tune recently, other than to say it's based on "East-West, two new teams added to the league."

Those two new team are Texas A&M and Missouri, which joined the conference in 2012 and placed several hiccups in the schedules of teams across the SEC. Auburn and Georgia were hit the hardest with the additions of the two new teams. The Bulldogs had to travel to Auburn two years in a row (2012 and 2013), and now the permanent schedule features Auburn hitting the road to both Alabama and Georgia in even years and Georgia doing the same with their rivals, Auburn and Georgia Tech, during the final month of the season.

A nine-game schedule could potentially alleviate the pressure on Auburn and Georgia late in the season -- and potentially change the schedule to the traditional home-and-away rotation with their two major rivals in a single season.

“If you look at the rest of the league’s schedule you don’t see teams having to do that, especially that big of a game — that is a traditional rival," Malzahn told Auburn Undercover in June. "No one else in our league has to do that.”

Yeah, but fixing the scheduling hiccup with Alabama and Georgia might take a while, right?

"We'll see," he told AUC. "You never know."

Malzahn believes Auburn isn't on a balanced scale with their SEC brethren. Such a change with a nine-game SEC schedule could help that.

"I think it's the best for us moving forward," Malzahn told CBSSports.com. "I think it would put more equity as far as strength of schedule in the conference."

Malzahn admitted he has made a complete "180" degree turn on his stance on SEC schedules. He previously supported the 6-1-1 model. Now, along with Alabama's Saban, he wants to see a change.

 

[planomateo]

That "scheduling hiccup" started in 2013, of which Auburn is 2-3 vs Alabama and 2-3 vs Georgia (not including SEC championship).

Doesn't add up to me... These guys need to dig in a bit more when writing articles.

 

[Max]

So Auburn is trying to loop Georgia in with their scheduling complaints now because they have Auburn on the road as well as Georgia Tech? A lot of this is due to the down period Tennessee has been in the last decade.

You don't see Florida complaining about having to play UT and FSU on the road the same season.
Auburn points to the last month of the season and you don't see South Carolina fans complaining about playing UF and Clemson on the road the same year i the last month of the season.
Or Kentucky at UT and Louisville.
Or Alabama at UT and LSU
Or MSU at Ole Miss and Bama.