it's absolutely ridiculous we have to play the exact same SEC schedule next year except home and away flips. Lebby was dealt some ****** cards.
Thinking about 2025 State football...
- Thread starter dawgstudent
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It really is a tragedy. Gonna make it real hard for the casual fans to see any improvement and get support to home games.
The difference in schedule toughness between ours and a team like Mizzou is absolutely crazy
I normally don't feel sorry for people making seven digit salaries, but I might make an exception for Lebby.
I fully expect them to realize how ridiculous it is just in time to blow up what should be a much easier 26 schedule. I'm sure we will go to Athens again.
Better yet, the team up the road. They have played two currently ranked teams this year. One of those is South Carolina.
EXACTLY. Only way we don't get screwed over is if the SEC keeps the 8 game schedule.
I still can't believe they did that. They could've easily just swapped out the 7 rotating opponents.
Also, if the NFL can announce this year's schedule in May, there's no reason why the SEC can't do the same. I suspect Sanky are Co. are okay with 5-6 teams finishing with at least 6 conference wins because of the unbalanced schedule.
The new SEC really should take the NFL model to scheduling where matchups are based on results from the previous season. If you suck, you get a slightly easier schedule. If you are blowing people out, you get a slightly tougher schedule.
Here are the current strength of schedule rankings for SEC teams (CFN rankings I saw online, takes into account remaining schedule I believe)
2) MSU
5) Florida
6) Oklahoma
7) LSU
8) Georgia
9) Kentucky
12) Alabama
14) Texas
15) South Carolina
16) Auburn
21) Vandy
24) aTm
37) Arkansas
46) Mizzou
49) Tennessee
50) Ole Miss
It is absolutely absurd that Tennessee and Ole Miss get to play that schedule 2 years in a row
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I been saying this for the last couple years. We ALWAYS get 17ed. On one hand hey it's the SEC. Lot of strong teams. Which is true. But then you look st OM and they have a much easier schedule every damn year
Texas is one that got off easy. They couldn't have asked for a better conference schedule and lost to the only ranked opponent they played. I guess whatever it takes to say "Texas is back!!".
I don’t disagree with your point, but when a coach at least starts winning 4-5 games, then I’ll talk about schedule difficulty. Until then, I don’t really care.
No one’s looking for him to knock off Georgia or Texas or honestly even get to a bowl game next year. I’d just like to be competitive against Toledo or Arkansas as a starting point
No one’s looking for him to knock off Georgia or Texas or honestly even get to a bowl game next year. I’d just like to be competitive against Toledo or Arkansas as a starting point
At least we don't have to see Toledo again.
agree but its harder than you think. Each team has at least one (or is it 2) natural opponent they play every year for tradition purpose.
AND i mean you just cant make alabama and georgia play every year because they are the best two teams. Kinda gets old and bland.
Best thing that can be done IMO is go back to divisions. Play 8 conference games.. and week 9 eveyone crosses over with the said opponent fromt eh other divison. In other words 2 plays 2, 3 plays 3.. all the way down. With the champ game that night.
Gets everyone 8 games. Similar schedules. Then you get 1 game at the end against a team of similar stretch to boost youre resume and proof you belong.
It does suck, but this year is a good year to have it because we absolutely suck. I'm not really sure playing Auburn or Vandy this year instead of Georgia and Texas would have made much of a difference other making everyone more mad when we lost.
I'm also not sure that it will matter next year because I think we are more than one transfer haul away from turning this thing around. However, having the same schedule will be a decent litmus test to see if we have actually improved next year. To me improvement will mean beating USM, Alcorn St., and NIU soundly and Arizona St., Florida, and Arkansas should not be the whippings we took this year.
I'm also not sure that it will matter next year because I think we are more than one transfer haul away from turning this thing around. However, having the same schedule will be a decent litmus test to see if we have actually improved next year. To me improvement will mean beating USM, Alcorn St., and NIU soundly and Arizona St., Florida, and Arkansas should not be the whippings we took this year.
Well…. We had people in meetings when all of this was being discussed and planned. And, of course, the school with the football team in absolute shambles (not of our own doing) had representation that sat on their hands and just said “aww shucks, just pencil us in any way. We are just glad to be here!”. All the while the SEC was heating up the red hot poker.
Hey in Lenny's defense:
Eastern Kentucky 7-4
Arizona State 7-2
Toledo 7-3
UMass is 2-8 but we did deal with them, eventually
Arizona State beats BYU they may be playing Prime in the Big 12 title game
I'm too lazy to look. Is everyone's SEC schedule just flipped for next season?
No just us because they hate us so.
Silver lining...... home games v Tx, Tn, UGA and OM..... buy some east side tickets and get 2x back in seat geek sales.
Oklahoma got the shaft on a tough schedule too because the “bad” teams are good. Next year they have :
At Tennessee
Ole Miss
At South Carolina
Auburn
Texas (Dallas)
Mizzou
LSU
At Bama
Coming to the SEC has been an eye opening experience for their fans. That soft Big 12 schedule is gone.
At Tennessee
Ole Miss
At South Carolina
Auburn
Texas (Dallas)
Mizzou
LSU
At Bama
Coming to the SEC has been an eye opening experience for their fans. That soft Big 12 schedule is gone.
What I think happened: SEC thought the could get more money from ESPN to go to a 9-game schedule (with a 3-6/6 rotation) by now. But ESPN hasn’t budged & SEC didn’t want to flip the 7 rotating teams in an 8-game schedule because that would mean a lot of big rivalry games wouldn’t be played. So they just made the 2024 schedule a home & home.
my prediction: ESPN never budges on the contract increase. SEC either caves & goes to a 9-game schedule anyway or re-works the 8-game schedule to allow 2 or 3 permanent opponents. We’ll never play the flip side of the current 8-game rotation.
my prediction: ESPN never budges on the contract increase. SEC either caves & goes to a 9-game schedule anyway or re-works the 8-game schedule to allow 2 or 3 permanent opponents. We’ll never play the flip side of the current 8-game rotation.
The SEC schedule can’t be blamed for the Toledo and Arizona State games this year. It can’t be blamed for the Northern Illinois and Arizona State games next year.
As far as the SEC goes, who did we not play this year that we would have beaten? Maybe Auburn or Kentucky?
We got a tough draw, sure, but the conference schedule isn’t the biggest reason for our record.
As far as the SEC goes, who did we not play this year that we would have beaten? Maybe Auburn or Kentucky?
We got a tough draw, sure, but the conference schedule isn’t the biggest reason for our record.
I don't think anybody is blaming our record on the SEC schedule. The point is that those who have a easy schedule, have one next year and vice versa only because the SEC was lazy and did a schedule flip flop for 2 years.
If they were gonna do that, it would have been more fair to everybody just to have drawn out the schedule bingo ball style.
And this whole protect the rivalry stuff is BS. There are 4 natural rivals in the league. MSU-OM, Texas-AM, Texas-OK, and Bama-Auburn. League needs to rule that TX can't claim both, so the instate rival should take precedence.
But can we please stop the BS saying Bama-UT are rivals. Georgia-UT. LSU-Florida, Auburn-UGA. Most of those haven't been competitive in decades. Just because you play someone x number of years in a row doesn't make it a rivalry. Just because we played Bama 90 years in a row and they are 85 miles away doesn't make them a rival. We sucked it up and played the big boys for decades while Johnny Vaught conveniently left them off the schedule.
That's the upside, in 2 years we should be much better and play and easier schedule, hopefully equaling a bowl quality program again.
How much better we'll be (if any) remains to be seen. But don't get your hopes up for the easier schedule. I seriously doubt we ever see the flip side of this rotation. That would mean no Bama-Tennessee, no Georgia-Auburn, no Bama-LSU, no LSU-Florida, no Texas-A&M. SEC is simply not going to allow these games to not be played. Schedule in 2026 will be different, but it won't be the flip of the 24-25 schedule.
They'll change in 2026 once they are assured to get a minimum 4 teams in the playoff.
they are already assured of this.
they'll change only when the tv money increases
again the sec brass has always been above the curve. Keeping the 8 game schedule assures the sec of getting in 4. until there is a reason to change that.. they wont.
Let's see how this turns out in a few weeks. If a few teams screw around and lose, you'll be looking stupid, and backtracking on that point you made yesterday where you accused me of "trying to stir up a debate".
Better be careful with those hardline stances....you often end up looking like a moron.
If anyone knows anything about ending up looking like a moron its you...youre the biggest moron on these boards
SEC is getting 4 in.. and this is an odd year. If the miracle run of indiana doesnt happen, the SEC would be getting 5. The SEC brass is a helluva lot smarter than you... .. but again anyone that understands sports past a jr high level is as well.
I think the SEC will cave on this one and move to the 9-game schedule for 2026 without any additional ESPN money. They're not going to go with the 8-game 1 permanent-7 rotating model.
I agree. Changes are going to happen. There are a lot of options, from divisons, champ games, schedules.
The sec brass has always done things that kept sec football at the top of the pecking order. I trust it will be done again. I do think there will be some give and take on the 9 game issue, but it will come on the SEC's terms, not ESPNs
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