Analysis: SEC gives Kentucky games against UT, UF, and USC the next four years
For the next four years programs in the expanded SEC will have four annual opponents to go along with six opponents that rotate.
On Tuesday morning, On3 reporter Chris Low broke the news about the three opponents each league team will draw for the next four seasons. Here are those “permanent” opponents for each team.
Keep in mind, each team will draw six other games that rotate to fill out a 9-game conference slate.
Alabama: Auburn, Tennessee, Mississippi State
Arkansas: Missouri, Texas, LSU
Auburn: Alabama, Georgia, Vanderbilt
Florida: Georgia, South Carolina, Kentucky
Georgia: Auburn, Florida, South Carolina
Kentucky: Florida, Tennessee, South Carolina
LSU: Arkansas, Ole Miss, Texas A&M
Mississippi State: Ole Miss, Vanderbilt, Alabama
Missouri: Arkansas, Texas A&M, Oklahoma
Oklahoma: Missouri, Ole Miss, Texas
South Carolina: Georgia, Florida, Kentucky
Tennessee: Alabama, Kentucky, Vanderbilt
Texas A&M: Missouri, LSU, Texas
Vanderbilt: Auburn, Tennessee, Mississippi State
What it means for Kentucky
When we were speculating on directions the SEC league office could take this it was clear there were different paths to creating a balanced conference slate. In the scenario the league went with Kentucky avoids one of the top programs in the conference. There’s no Alabama, Georgia, Texas, or LSU. But that means Kentucky didn’t draw Mississippi State, Vanderbilt, or even Arkansas.
Instead, Kentucky kept three long-time old SEC East rivals. And how good those teams are as draws depends largely on what historical era you’re talking about.
Kentucky’s series against Florida and Tennessee have been ugly if you go back enough decades. In recent years the Wildcats have held their own against the Gators and the series has improved slightly but not a lot against the Volunteers. The UK-South Carolina series has been one of streaks for both teams and we see that rivalry renewed in Williams Brice Stadium this weekend.
At the moment it looks like Kentucky came out pretty well but it’s also not hard to imagine any or a couple of those teams having a very good year in the same season. And remember, this is only a four-year slate of “permanent” opponents.
The rest of the league
A number of things stand out. If you think the SEC’s top programs are Texas, LSU, Alabama, and Georgia, you can say that the league didn’t create any permanent matchups between Tier 1 teams. Those four programs probably have the most national championship potential year over year at the moment and while they could play as part of each other’s rotating schedules there aren’t any locked in games.
Tennessee had the good fortune of drawing Kentucky and Vanderbilt. That’s largely because the Volunteers drew Alabama.
Alabama kept its rivalries against Auburn and Tennessee. There was a question as to whether Alabama was more likely to keep its rivalry against Tennessee or its game against LSU, which has been one of college football’s most anticipated games over the past decade or two.
Auburn ended up getting permanent games against Alabama and Georgia so both the Iron Bowl and the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry remain. The Tigers draw Vanderbilt to even that out but drawing the Tide and Bulldogs ensures a tough slate annually for Auburn.
The newer teams in the conference are heavily grouped together which makes geographic sense. Just as Kentucky is tied in with old SEC rivals that were annual opponents, we see Texas drawing A&M, Arkansas, and Oklahoma.
Texas A&M is similar to Auburn in that it draws two of the hardest games. In fact, Texas A&M may have the toughest three permanent opponents in LSU, Missouri and Texas, although the Tigers and Longhorns haven’t been as consistently at the very top as Alabama or Georgia in the most recent times.
In the best comparison for UK’s schedule, South Carolina draws the Gators and the head to head against the Wildcats. But whereas Kentucky gets Tennessee, South Carolina gets Georgia.