Question: Should the SEC go to 9 conference games?

No


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No.

YES! I was at SC in 2010. I will probably be dead before we play them again in Tuscaloosa. It is stupid to have a conference and not play the other members. The following is one of the most asinine things ever printed!:

Yes. As a fan, I'd rather see us pick up an East team more frequently over playing an FCS team.

I'd also like to see us do more home-and-home series rather than neutral site games.

I know folks will say its already hard enough to make it through an SEC schedule without an additional game. And it is tough. But I think it benefits the fans to see higher quality football and it benefits the team to play against better competition. Just my personal opinion.

Bama is doing good right now....I wouldn't add another SEC team. The SEC schedule is so very difficult now.

I wish we'd cut a game out, and leave the conference games at 8, honestly. I fee like we're starting to get the end-of-year injuries, and teams like osu are once again just chillin; waiting on the end of the season with fresher bodies


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I would be willing as soon as all the other FCS people - and by than I mean specifically the Big 12 and Notre Dame - come up to the same level of competition as it pertains to a) playing IN a conference (as opposed to being affiliated with one), and b) that THAT conference, and every other one, have a legitimate conference championship game. When the playing field is level, then 9 game conference schedules are realistic.

bamanut_aj said:

I wish we'd cut a game out, and leave the conference games at 8, honestly. I fee like we're starting to get the end-of-year injuries, and teams like osu are once again just chillin; waiting on the end of the season with fresher bodies


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Agree. Also, teams who play a schedule like OSU, etc. can experiment and build their team, whereas, SEC and PAC12 teams have to play to the max from early on in the season.

GP for Bama said:

Bama is doing good right now....I wouldn't add another SEC team. The SEC schedule is so very difficult now.

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Coach Saban is in favor of a nine game schedule. When the SEC was but 10 teams and the regular season was but 10 games, Coach Bryant always attempted to schedule ALL nine of the other SEC teams. He never accomplished that but Bama almost always played more than the minimum of 6 required. In fact, it was because of Coach Bryant that the Six Conference Game Minimum Rule was changed to the Six Conference Game Minimum/Maximum Rule in 1979, and the Ole Miss games of 1980 and 1981 did not count in the SEC standings.

Bama has NEVER been afraid of a very difficult schedule. Hope they NEVER will be.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Yes, it would be cool as a fan to have a more marquee game every year. But you know what's also cool as a fan? Winning national championships. Having the players healthy and rested enough to dominate in the games that matter is what's important. We already have one of the most difficult schedules in the country. The game this week is scheduled perfectly so that our fellas that are dined up can recuperate.

ALA2262 said:

Coach Saban is in favor of a nine game schedule. When the SEC was but 10 teams and the regular season was but 10 games, Coach Bryant always attempted to schedule ALL nine of the other SEC teams. He never accomplished that but Bama almost always played more than the minimum of 6 required. In fact, it was because of Coach Bryant that the Six Conference Game Minimum Rule was changed to the Six Conference Game Minimum/Maximum Rule in 1979, and the Ole Miss games of 1980 and 1981 did not count in the SEC standings.

Bama has NEVER been afraid of a very difficult schedule. Hope they NEVER will be.

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Unfortunately, since he's human, he's not always right (Ole Miss 9/19/15); unless all other conferences level the playing field, it's not a smart move, and teams like Florida (and probably SCe) will never be in favor of it, due to OOC rivalry games.
The division winners play 9 games now; that's enough, unless it becomes a P5 mandate and everyone has to have a P5 OOC game.

No, Alabama has the #3 SoS right now. No other contender is even close. Of course people want the SEC teams to have a bunch more losses, but the problem is the SEC already plays the toughest schedule. Why make it tougher? Why create more conference losses? If you're outside the SEC there's reason enough, because they want an easier path made even easier.

I also suggest people pay close attention to what Saban says. He doesn't show fear of a challenge, but he still doesn't schedule tough OOC road games. He doesn't back down from the idea of tough games, but he still schedules FCS opponents. He knows how it works, I do think he likes the idea of playing other conference teams more often, but don't think for one second he doesn't understand the practical implications.

I think the Tennessee game was a perfect example of how he handles things like this. Prior to the game he repeatedly and adamantly said that the bye weeks thing was not an issue. Why give the team any excuses to play poorly? Afterwards? Just about the first thing out of his mouth was explaining that the team was tired. You think he didn't know that before the game? Of course he did. I don't know for sure how Saban feels about this on a personal level, but you better believe it's in line with his approach not to give people ammunition by saying he's against the 9th SEC game.

I hate to have to be the bringer of shocking news to a few of you, BUT, Coach Saban isn't always right. Maybe even more shocking, for some a bit older, Coach Bryant wasn't always right.

No thank you...

JDMinHSV said:

I would be willing as soon as all the other FCS people - and by than I mean specifically the Big 12 and Notre Dame - come up to the same level of competition as it pertains to a) playing IN a conference (as opposed to being affiliated with one), and b) that THAT conference, and every other one, have a legitimate conference championship game. When the playing field is level, then 9 game conference schedules are realistic.

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IIRC CNS pretty much mirrored your opinion. He stated he wanted 9 games but didn't want to be the only conference stepping it up and wearing down the players during the season then playing fresher teams post season. And I agree.

Also, with fewer and fewer OOC teams willing to take on Bama it would relieve some of the problem.

Under current system it would not work well for SEC IMO. While playoff committee may factor SOS, you can still have a team like clemson where nearly half its schedule consist of teams with only 3 wins run the table and leave a more deserving SEC team with 1 or 2 losses out. If playoff expanded to 8 teams then 9 SEC games makes sense to me because 2 or 3 SEC teams could get into playoff with 1 or 2 losses.

Yes and no.

Yes, I think 9-game schedules make for a better season with more interesting games for the players and fans.

But no, I don't think the SEC should make the move until there is more standardization in what a conference championship means across all the power conferences.

KrAzY3 said:

No, Alabama has the #3 SoS right now. No other contender is even close. Of course people want the SEC teams to have a bunch more losses, but the problem is the SEC already plays the toughest schedule. Why make it tougher? Why create more conference losses? If you're outside the SEC there's reason enough, because they want an easier path made even easier.

I also suggest people pay close attention to what Saban says. He doesn't show fear of a challenge, but he still doesn't schedule tough OOC road games. He doesn't back down from the idea of tough games, but he still schedules FCS opponents. He knows how it works, I do think he likes the idea of playing other conference teams more often, but don't think for one second he doesn't understand the practical implications.

I think the Tennessee game was a perfect example of how he handles things like this. Prior to the game he repeatedly and adamantly said that the bye weeks thing was not an issue. Why give the team any excuses to play poorly? Afterwards? Just about the first thing out of his mouth was explaining that the team was tired. You think he didn't know that before the game? Of course he did. I don't know for sure how Saban feels about this on a personal level, but you better believe it's in line with his approach not to give people ammunition by saying he's against the 9th SEC game.

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I think the reason Coach Saban schedules those FCS opponents is because the Big boys won't just come in and take a pay check. They will want a home and home which would cost us a home game on the odd year. That in turn hurts the city of Tuscaloosa and revenue for Alabama. If we could pay a Duke, Kansas, Indiana, Purdue or Wake Forest to come in for 600k to 1 million, we would.