12 SEC team schedule

81usaf92

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I think a good case can be made that the 2 best teams have played in each of the past 3 seasons: Bama/Clemson, Clemson/Bama, Bama/UGA. In fact, a good case can be made that OSU and Bama were the two best teams in 2014, though they played in the semifinal. I do strongly believe that the likelihood of having the best team in one of the top 4 is great and that due to the nature of college football that that superiority has a high chance of resulting in 2 wins.
2014: tOSU and Alabama didn’t play in the NC but were the two best teams.

2015: tOSU, Alabama, and Clemson were the best teams, but tOSU’s bad day was more costly than our bad day

2016: Clemson and Bama but the best team didn’t win.

2017: I still believe Oklahoma was better than UGA, but their coaching staff costed them the game. But if you wanna count it then fine.


My issue is with this common notion that the NFL regular season doesn’t mean much or the best teams don’t play for the SB. I just don’t agree when the 1-3 seeds win and go to the SB far more than the 4-6 seeds. They are seeded by regular season performances, and the very idea of the playoffs is to leave no doubt. So a team can’t hide behind being playing in a weak conference like they can in College football. I still maintain that college football doesn’t have a true playoff and still suffers from the same things they suffered with in the BCS.
 

B1GTide

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2014: tOSU and Alabama didn’t play in the NC but were the two best teams.

2015: tOSU, Alabama, and Clemson were the best teams, but tOSU’s bad day was more costly than our bad day

2016: Clemson and Bama but the best team didn’t win.

2017: I still believe Oklahoma was better than UGA, but their coaching staff costed them the game. But if you wanna count it then fine.


My issue is with this common notion that the NFL regular season doesn’t mean much or the best teams don’t play for the SB. I just don’t agree when the 1-3 seeds win and go to the SB far more than the 4-6 seeds. They are seeded by regular season performances, and the very idea of the playoffs is to leave no doubt. So a team can’t hide behind being playing in a weak conference like they can in College football. I still maintain that college football doesn’t have a true playoff and still suffers from the same things they suffered with in the BCS.
The goal is not to get the best teams into the finals - it is to get the best teams into the CFP. What they do when they get there is up to them. And the CFP has put the two best teams in the playoffs every year so far, which is about as much as you can hope for in college football. Try to go much deeper and the water gets too murky because there is not enough cross-play to really know who is the 7th best team, for instance. The top 2 or 3 really stand out, but beyond that - not really.

The goals of the NFL playoff, likewise, is not to get the two best teams into the SB, it is to give the best teams an opportunity to play in the SB. It also accomplishes its goal.
 

81usaf92

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The goal is not to get the best teams into the finals - it is to get the best teams into the CFP. What they do when they get there is up to them. And the CFP has put the two best teams in the playoffs every year so far, which is about as much as you can hope for in college football. Try to go much deeper and the water gets too murky because there is not enough cross-play to really know who is the 7th best team, for instance. The top 2 or 3 really stand out, but beyond that - not really.

The goals of the NFL playoff, likewise, is not to get the two best teams into the SB, it is to give the best teams an opportunity to play in the SB. It also accomplishes its goal.
Pretty much my point. I just don’t get this common argument, “ I don’t watch the NFL because the regular season doesn’t mean much”. The problem is that the #1 and #2 seeds have a substantial advantage over everyone else, and their seeding is directly decided by the regular season. I mean who really wants to go to Pittsburgh or Foxborough on a cold January night or have to go to the Super Dome amongst a lot of drunk crazy Cajuns to win a playoff game? It is a sizable advantage.

The point of a playoff is to see who can handle the pressure when it’s cranked up to 11, not to find the best team.
 

B1GTide

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Pretty much my point. I just don’t get this common argument, “ I don’t watch the NFL because the regular season doesn’t mean much”. The problem is that the #1 and #2 seeds have a substantial advantage over everyone else, and their seeding is directly decided by the regular season. I mean who really wants to go to Pittsburgh or Foxborough on a cold January night or have to go to the Super Dome amongst a lot of drunk crazy Cajuns to win a playoff game? It is a sizable advantage.

The point of a playoff is to see who can handle the pressure when it’s cranked up to 11, not to find the best team.
The bolded is the main reason that I would love to see the CFP go to 6 teams. The regular season games would mean far more in a scenario in which the top 2 seeds get a bye in the playoffs. It makes every game more important by both making more slots available, and by making the top seeds more valuable. But this, alas, would even further devalue the rest of the bowl season. The harsh reality - bowl games are now just a reward. The players appreciate the reward, but the fans just don't care. Not sure how you fix that.
 

81usaf92

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The bolded is the main reason that I would love to see the CFP go to 6 teams. The regular season games would mean far more in a scenario in which the top 2 seeds get a bye in the playoffs. It makes every game more important by both making more slots available, and by making the top seeds more valuable. But this, alas, would even further devalue the rest of the bowl season. The harsh reality - bowl games are now just a reward. The players appreciate the reward, but the fans just don't care. Not sure how you fix that.
1) personally I wish we went to a 6 team playoff with 4 Superconferences. 4 seeds being 4 champs and 2 seeds being at large. The NFL has a proven SOS element that decides who is in, above, or out of the playoff seeding so it can be done.

2) I think the bowl season has been irrelevant since the poll era ended, but died fully in 2006. I mean who really cares about a non important Sugar bowl anymore.
 

B1GTide

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1) personally I wish we went to a 6 team playoff with 4 Superconferences. 4 seeds being 4 champs and 2 seeds being at large. The NFL has a proven SOS element that decides who is in, above, or out of the playoff seeding so it can be done.

2) I think the bowl season has been irrelevant since the poll era ended, but died fully in 2006. I mean who really cares about a non important Sugar bowl anymore.
College football is not going to realign like that for one reason - $$$. There are too many people sitting at the top of these conferences making huge paychecks, and they are the ones making the call. They are not going to vote themselves out of a job.

I disagree about the bowl season. It is still as relevant as it was before the BCS. The fact that it does not decide a championship does not make it less relevant to the players, coaches and programs. The games add exposure, they offer a reward for hard work, and they give teams a chance at additional practices. If the fans don't care for the games, it is because fans tend to be selfish, not because the games are irrelevant.
 

81usaf92

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College football is not going to realign like that for one reason - $$$. There are too many people sitting at the top of these conferences making huge paychecks, and they are the ones making the call. They are not going to vote themselves out of a job.

I disagree about the bowl season. It is still as relevant as it was before the BCS. The fact that it does not decide a championship does not make it less relevant to the players, coaches and programs. The games add exposure, they offer a reward for hard work, and they give teams a chance at additional practices. If the fans don't care for the games, it is because fans tend to be selfish, not because the games are irrelevant.

1st paragraph: no, Super conferences are probably not going to happen until Texas and Notre Dame change business models, but they would probably end needless controversies about schedules, non P5 teams, and who deserves to be in.

2nd paragraph: I believe college football in general is declining. Not going away entirely, but fans going to games. I think the advancement in technology has killed the excitement of going to bowl games with no real meaning.
 

GrayTide

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1st paragraph: no, Super conferences are probably not going to happen until Texas and Notre Dame change business models, but they would probably end needless controversies about schedules, non P5 teams, and who deserves to be in.

2nd paragraph: I believe college football in general is declining. Not going away entirely, but fans going to games. I think the advancement in technology has killed the excitement of going to bowl games with no real meaning.
This^^^ college football is declining for numerous reasons, but I still believe the over exposure on television and the cost to attend a game in person. As I have said before, I like to attend one home game a year simply to see what I am not missing.
 

BamaInBham

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2014: tOSU and Alabama didn’t play in the NC but were the two best teams.

2015: tOSU, Alabama, and Clemson were the best teams, but tOSU’s bad day was more costly than our bad day

2016: Clemson and Bama but the best team didn’t win.

2017: I still believe Oklahoma was better than UGA, but their coaching staff costed them the game. But if you wanna count it then fine.
Thanks, you confirmed my point - the 2 best teams made the playoff each year.

My issue is with this common notion that the NFL regular season doesn’t mean much or the best teams don’t play for the SB. I just don’t agree when the 1-3 seeds win and go to the SB far more than the 4-6 seeds. They are seeded by regular season performances, and the very idea of the playoffs is to leave no doubt. So a team can’t hide behind being playing in a weak conference like they can in College football. I still maintain that college football doesn’t have a true playoff and still suffers from the same things they suffered with in the BCS.
I never said that the best teams don't play for the SB. Conversely, I believe that they get in the "tournament" 100% of the time, and thus have their shot at the SB. It is all you can ask. As far as my comment that the NFL reg season "has lost value", it was because of the fact that if a team is a genuine contender they are assured to make the postseason. Therefore, it removes much of the suspense of the reg season. Of course, since seeding does matter in the NFL and the better record gets the home field advantage for all games but the SB, some interest is added back to the reg season. But again, if a team has a genuine claim to be the champ, it will make the field, thus having a shot.

Whether college football has a true playoff depends on one's definition. I prefer that it be more selective because IMO, though they say they are selecting the 4 best teams, they are really balancing "best teams" and "most deserving/best season performance". This keeps most 2 loss teams out of the conversation and maintains a proper balance between eye-test and performance. Of course, we are at the mercy of the integrity and competence of the CFP Committee. To this point, IMO they have done a great job. Almost any undefeated P5 team is going to make it in, which means that only those teams who have a loss will complain. And if you lose in college football, IMO, you've put yourself at the mercy of circumstances beyond your control and have no real basis for complaint. I see college football differently from pro sports and hope it maintains its uniqueness. In CF, I much prefer a committee over automatic qualifiers. I can see the reasoning for others' preferred format, but this is my preference. I don't see it as right vs wrong.
 

B1GTide

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2015. Ohio St was one of the best teams in the nation, Oklahoma and Michigan St werent.
I agree, but how can you call that out when MU beat us head to head. Yeah, stupid play calling cost us that game (Zeke barely touched the ball), but they won. And, given what you guys did to MSU that year, I am not sure that we would have done much better.
 

81usaf92

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I agree, but how can you call that out when MU beat us head to head. .
Thats my point. Alot claim the best teams dont play in the NFL playoffs, but they rarely all play in college as well. I think people get too hung up on a 5-6 loss SB, and that a team with a losing record could win the super bowl. But forget the only important question... "How often does that happen?"
 

BamaInBham

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2015. Ohio St was one of the best teams in the nation, Oklahoma and Michigan St werent.
I agree that it is debatable but IMO, Alabama and Clemson were the 2 best teams in 2015. OSU had great talent, probably the most talented team in the country, but they slopped around most of the year, somewhat like this year, then were dominated by MSU at home (even though it was a 3 pt game, MSU had approx 21-5 edge in FDs and approx 300-150 edge in total O). Though they were far more talented than MSU, there was no way you could put them in ahead of MSU. That's why I say that the CFPC combines "best teams" with "most deserving teams" even though they say "best team". Though they might counter that MSU was a better team though OSU was the much more talented team. But we all know that in one game the best "team" does not always win. Also, the eye-test is not infallible.

Anyway, I'm not saying your preference is wrong, it's just not my preference.
 

USCBAMA

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2014: tOSU and Alabama didn’t play in the NC but were the two best teams.

2015: tOSU, Alabama, and Clemson were the best teams, but tOSU’s bad day was more costly than our bad day

2016: Clemson and Bama but the best team didn’t win.

2017: I still believe Oklahoma was better than UGA, but their coaching staff costed them the game. But if you wanna count it then fine.


My issue is with this common notion that the NFL regular season doesn’t mean much or the best teams don’t play for the SB. I just don’t agree when the 1-3 seeds win and go to the SB far more than the 4-6 seeds. They are seeded by regular season performances, and the very idea of the playoffs is to leave no doubt. So a team can’t hide behind being playing in a weak conference like they can in College football. I still maintain that college football doesn’t have a true playoff and still suffers from the same things they suffered with in the BCS.

Edit, my bad - I got 2015 & 2016 confused.
 
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spock*

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Now that college football has a playoff, bowl games are nothing more than a postseason scrimmage. Coaches should embrace it and focus on developing next year’s team or testing new coaches
 
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GrayTide

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Realistically there are only 7 SEC teams that can win the SECC in any give year: Alabama, Auburn, LSU, TAMU, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee. Let these 7 teams play each other every year and rotate 3 teams annually from: Ole Miss, MSU, Arkansas, Vanderbilt, Kentucky, USCe and Missouri. You could still have division winners and an SECC game, if needed. One Power 5 non conference opponent, one Group of 5 opponent and one FCS opponent.
 
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teamplayer

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Now that college football has a playoff, bowl games are nothing more than a postseason scrimmage. Coaches should embrace it and focus on developing next year’s team or testing new coaches
This isn't new. Bowl games have always been nothing more than postseason scrimmages with the exception of two or three bowls that might influence who is declared the national champion. It is the same way now. I'm not sure why people act like bowl games used to "matter". They are simply a reward for players and a chance for fans to see more football, and the coaches love them because they get extra practices.
 

spock*

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Alabama football coach Nick Saban has lobbied for Power Five teams only playing Power Five opponents. The Tide could begin a transition by ending FCS games.

Alabama football coach Nick Saban does not get enough credit for his bold thoughts on improving the college game. There will be plenty of negative chatter in the 2019 and 2020 seasons when the Crimson Tide faces FCS teams, Western Carolina and UT Martin.

Scheduling those games is not Saban's preference. He does it because all the SEC schools do it. Every SEC school but one has one FCS game in the 2019 season. The Florida Gators have two. However, the Gators do not play any Group of Five games in 2019. Florida's two other, out-of-conference games are Miami and Florida State.

What Nick Saban has long proposed is for SEC teams to play 10 conference games, plus two other Power Five teams. The only other SEC head coach ever voicing support was Jim McElwain at Florida. Most of the dissenters are concerned about qualifying for bowl games.

Nick Saban has a plan that changes the six-win threshold for bowl games. Saban believes bowl games should be seeded like the NCAA basketball tournament, without a minimum win requirement. Such a big effort would either require a new committee or an extension of scope for the CFB Playoff Committee. Saban's suggestion has merit but so far he appears to be a lone voice.

https://bamahammer.com/2019/05/08/alabama-football-lead-effort-drop-fcs-contests/
 

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