Top 10 rivalries lost to the 9 game SEC schedule

[pacificnwdawg]

Top 10 SEC rivalries that won’t be played every year in the 9-game schedule era

Of the 21 all-SEC matchups ranked in The Athletic’s Top 100 Rivalries countdown this summer, 15 are protected over the next four years.

www.nytimes.com

MSU - LSU makes the list at #6. Interesting that it is the only matchup that has been played over 100 time to get axed.

6. LSU-Mississippi State​

This was the only SEC series with more than 100 meetings to get sacked. LSU-Mississippi State (No. 100 in the Top 100) has been played 117 times, but it became collateral damage of the expanded SEC’s schedule adjustments in the last two years. LSU could have a full SEC slate of opponents deemed a rival (including Auburn), but the Tigers’ surging series with Texas A&M and its propensity for great games with Arkansas take precedence. Mississippi State preserves the Egg Bowl with Ole Miss and gets an 80-mile drive to Alabama, plus four years of dates with Vanderbilt.

 

[ZombieKissinger]

LSU fans can desperately claim us as their rival all day, but Vandy is our only true rival

 

[Villagedawg]

Top 10 SEC rivalries that won’t be played every year in the 9-game schedule era

Of the 21 all-SEC matchups ranked in The Athletic’s Top 100 Rivalries countdown this summer, 15 are protected over the next four years.

www.nytimes.com

MSU - LSU makes the list at #6. Interesting that it is the only matchup that has been played over 100 time to get axed.

6. LSU-Mississippi State​

This was the only SEC series with more than 100 meetings to get sacked. LSU-Mississippi State (No. 100 in the Top 100) has been played 117 times, but it became collateral damage of the expanded SEC’s schedule adjustments in the last two years. LSU could have a full SEC slate of opponents deemed a rival (including Auburn), but the Tigers’ surging series with Texas A&M and its propensity for great games with Arkansas take precedence. Mississippi State preserves the Egg Bowl with Ole Miss and gets an 80-mile drive to Alabama, plus four years of dates with Vanderbilt.

Saw/heard Baton Rouge sports radio guys complaining that their three opponent slate was terrible. They said Florida was the main event. Said there was nothing to the A&M and Arkansas "rivalries." Did not mention Ole Miss. At least the part I heard.

 

[patdog]

Only real rivalries lost:
1 - LSU - Alabama
7 - Auburn - Florida (but this really hasn't been played annually since 2002)
8 - A&M - Arkansas
9 - Mississippi - Arkansas (kind of)
10 - Kentucky - Vanderbilt

 

[HotMop]

Top 10 SEC rivalries that won’t be played every year in the 9-game schedule era

Of the 21 all-SEC matchups ranked in The Athletic’s Top 100 Rivalries countdown this summer, 15 are protected over the next four years.

www.nytimes.com

MSU - LSU makes the list at #6. Interesting that it is the only matchup that has been played over 100 time to get axed.

6. LSU-Mississippi State​

This was the only SEC series with more than 100 meetings to get sacked. LSU-Mississippi State (No. 100 in the Top 100) has been played 117 times, but it became collateral damage of the expanded SEC’s schedule adjustments in the last two years. LSU could have a full SEC slate of opponents deemed a rival (including Auburn), but the Tigers’ surging series with Texas A&M and its propensity for great games with Arkansas take precedence. Mississippi State preserves the Egg Bowl with Ole Miss and gets an 80-mile drive to Alabama, plus four years of dates with Vanderbilt.

I honestly thought they'd give us LSU, Ole Miss, and Alabama. All of these have gone back a long time.

 

[vhdawg]

"rivalries"

 

[HailStout]

"rivalries"

I like her necklace

 

[vhdawg]

I like her necklace

 

[Drebin]

I like her necklace

 

[The Peeper]

I like her necklace

She'd look better in pearls..........

 

[RocketDawg]

Once again - the SEC has too many teams.

 

[patdog]

She'd look better in pearls..........

I had no idea what that ZZ Top song was about until years later.

 

[mcdawg22]

"rivalries"

To paraphrase Tywin Lannister. “The Tiger does not concern himself with the opinions of the Bulldog.”

 

[Maroon13]

Once again - the SEC has too many teams.

Agreed. The SEC is .... State, OM, Bama, LSU, AU, UGA, Florida UTN, Vandy and UK.

Everyone else....step children

 

[Bulldog from Birth]

Only real rivalries lost:
1 - LSU - Alabama
7 - Auburn - Florida (but this really hasn't been played annually since 2002)
8 - A&M - Arkansas
9 - Mississippi - Arkansas (kind of)
10 - Kentucky - Vanderbilt

I’ve always viewed Tennesee-Florida as a solid rivalry.

 

[Dawgg]

I’ve always viewed Tennesee-Florida as a solid rivalry.

I always saw LSU-Florida as a solid rivalry too, especially from about 1996-2019.

 

[OG Goat Holder]

I’ve always viewed Tennesee-Florida as a solid rivalry.

Agree with you and @Dawgg but they were kinda manufactured by the 1992 SEC. Kinda like Bama/LSU, by Saban. Of course it’s been played longer.

I will always see the late bowl - early BCS period as the golden era. It seems like all the conferences were semi equal from about 1992-2011. That roughly 20-year period will always be best to me. I still say Saban helped ruin it all.

Oh well, onward and upward toward a splitting of the P4 and G6. Soon everybody will really only keep one true rival. And hey at least we play everybody twice every two years.

 

[Colonel Angus.sixpack]

It’s funny that LSU is crying about losing Florida now. They’ve been trying to get out of Florida being their permanent forever despite the evenness of the series recently.

 

[Dawgg]

Agree with you and @Dawgg but they were kinda manufactured by the 1992 SEC. Kinda like Bama/LSU, by Saban. Of course it’s been played longer.

I will always see the late bowl - early BCS period as the golden era. It seems like all the conferences were semi equal from about 1992-2011. That roughly 20-year period will always be best to me. I still say Saban helped ruin it all.

Oh well, onward and upward toward a splitting of the P4 and G6. Soon everybody will really only keep one true rival. And hey at least we play everybody twice every two years.

Fair, but I mean… I was only 12 when the SEC added SC and Arkansas and split into divisions. Most of my college football watching years have included LSU-Florida as a rivalry game and a lot of those years it had national implications.

Yeah, the BCS had its problems, but college football, especially the SEC, was always appointment television during that era.

 

[The Peeper]

I had no idea what that ZZ Top song was about until years later.

Most parents didn't either

 

[Perd Hapley]

10-game conference schedule preserves all rivalries. 5 permanent / 5 rotating. You play every team in the league home and away every 4 years. You play 2/3 of the conference every season, still a smaller percentage than when 8 SEC games were played in a 12 team SEC. You get same number of home / away games every year.

Another option is a 10 game SEC schedule with a return to divisions. You play one permanent and 2 rotating from the opposite division.

Western Division: Texas, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Missouri, LSU, Arkansas, MSU, Ole Miss

Eastern Division: Alabama, Auburn, Vandy, Kentucky, Tennessee, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida

Divisional format preserves just about historical rivalries by default.

 

[mcdawg22]

10-game conference schedule preserves all rivalries. 5 permanent / 5 rotating. You play every team in the league home and away every 4 years. You play 2/3 of the conference every season, still a smaller percentage than when 8 SEC games were played in a 12 team SEC. You get same number of home / away games every year.

And we will make a bowl, best case scenario, 2 out of every 5 years.

 

[patdog]

10-game conference schedule preserves all rivalries. 5 permanent / 5 rotating. You play every team in the league home and away every 4 years. You play 2/3 of the conference every season, still a smaller percentage than when 8 SEC games were played in a 12 team SEC. You get same number of home / away games every year.

Another option is a 10 game SEC schedule with a return to divisions. You play one permanent and 2 rotating from the opposite division.

Western Division: Texas, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Missouri, LSU, Arkansas, MSU, Ole Miss

Eastern Division: Alabama, Auburn, Vandy, Kentucky, Tennessee, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida

Divisional format preserves just about historical rivalries by default.

Good lord man. Are you some kind of maschocist? 9 conference games is going to to be plenty tough enough. Rivalries don’t matter in today’s game. Nebraska-Oklahoma , long gone. Missouri-Kansas , gone. Oklahoma-Oklahona St , gone. TCU -SMU, gone. Personally I’m fine with losing. LSU as an annual opponent.

 

[patdog]

Fair, but I mean… I was only 12 when the SEC added SC and Arkansas and split into divisions. Most of my college football watching years have included LSU-Florida as a rivalry game and a lot of those years it had national implications.

Yeah, the BCS had its problems, but college football, especially the SEC, was always appointment television during that era.

Yeah. Arkansas & South Carolina belong in the SEC. The Big 12 schools, no.

 

[Perd Hapley]

Good lord man. Are you some kind of maschocist? 9 conference games is going to to be plenty tough enough. Rivalries don’t matter in today’s game. Nebraska-Oklahoma , long gone. Missouri-Kansas , gone. Oklahoma-Oklahona St , gone. TCU -SMU, gone. Personally I’m fine with losing. LSU as an annual opponent.

Not really.

I don’t think a 9 game conference schedule + another P4 game is all that different from a 10 game conference schedule without the P4 requirement.

I don’t really even acknowledge the FCS / SWAC games as even existing. Pointless. The G5 ones aren’t much better. I’m up for swapping out as many of those out for competitive games as possible.

I don’t care about the bowls at all. But for those that do, I think the P4 should collectively work together to eliminate the 6 win rule for bowl eligibility. Reward teams who seek out and play quality opponents but only end up with 5 wins or so.

I think if you’re in a conference you should play most of the teams in the conference.

I think every one of these mega leagues should have a 10+ game schedule. Get rid of the pointless games against the pointless teams.

 

[patdog]

Not really.

I don’t think a 9 game conference schedule + another P4 game is all that different from a 10 game conference schedule without the P4 requirement.

I don’t really even acknowledge the FCS / SWAC games as even existing. Pointless. The G5 ones aren’t much better. I’m up for swapping out as many of those out for competitive games as possible.

I don’t care about the bowls at all. But for those that do, I think the P4 should collectively work together to eliminate the 6 win rule for bowl eligibility. Reward teams who seek out and play quality opponents but only end up with 5 wins or so.

I think if you’re in a conference you should play most of the teams in the conference.

I think every one of these mega leagues should have a 10+ game schedule. Get rid of the pointless games against the pointless teams.

The P4 requirement isn’t going away. Ever. It’s ESPN’s access to Big 10 & Big 12 teams.

 

[Perd Hapley]

The P4 requirement isn’t going away. Ever. It’s ESPN’s access to Big 10 & Big 12 teams.

Well then keep it, too. No skin off my back. I enjoy that game as well.

I think ultimately if it all moves towards an NFL-ish model….which has been the trend in almost all areas (paying players, expanded playoff, maximizing revenue from TV rights, quality over quantity in terms of televised games, etc.), then I think its going to be the direction everything goes regardless.

It’s in everyone in the P4’s best interest to move on from the old mindset of purely record-based appraisal and move more toward SOS and metrics that are used in every other sport for determining postseason selection and seeding. That’s what’s going to lead to the greatest interest and highest revenue potential in both the regular season and the postseason.