Drop the annual SEC interdivisional rivalry games

[BamaFossil]

I'm wondering if there is still a lot of sentiment for continuing to schedule one team from the other division on an "every year" basis. Alabama-Tennessee for example. Or LSU-Florida or Arkansas-South Carolina. Seems to me this setup makes for team schedules that are less fair than they could be. For example, LSU gets Florida every year, whereas someone (MSU?) gets to feast on Vandy every year. Likewise, TN might enjoy not having to play Alabama every year. And it wasn't that many years ago that I would have been fine not playing TN every year.

I understand the argument re longstanding rivalries. That didn't stop the SEC from breaking up a few of 'em early in the expansion process; e.g. Auburn-TN. And Arkansas-South Carolina?? There's a natural rivalry...:rolleye2:

I agree with playing 8 SEC games every year. If the interdivisional rivalry games are done away with, each team would play 3 teams from the other division, as is the case now. However, all teams from the other division would rotate onto the schedule for a home-and-home, then rotate off the schedule for two years.

Hey, it's the off-season...
DT_popc1:

 

[RJ YellowHammer]

...and lose The EwwwwT game?!? Over my cold, dead body. It's probably my favorite game to attend, and I can't imagine a year in which we don't play the Vols.

Dropping the "locked in" games would also mean an end to the UGA/Barn game.

Fossil, if your goal was to get some people fired up, me thinks you just succeeded.

DT_popc1:

 

[TommyMac]

Nah, 10RC ain't getting off that light. We still owe them a bunch of payback.

 

[37bamagreats55]

Never going to happen.
For a ton of Bama fans, they think Tennessee is our biggest rival. And while I can't stand UT (it's not that orange you can sit with, LOL) and wouldn't ever want to lose to them, I think AU is our biggest rival because of the state implications and having to deal with the Boogers 365 days/year.
Matter of fact, I'm still hearing about the streak, despite the fact we've A) Beat them two times in a row B) won the Heisman Trophy C) 14-0 D) SEC champions E) National champs

 

[mjstide]

For the most part the permanent (most are not rivalries) interdivisonal games are distributed fairly. Here they are:

Alabama - Tenn (Alabama leads 47-38-7)
LSU - Florida (Florida leads 30-23-3)
Auburn - UGA (Auburn leads 53-52-8)
Miss St. - Kentucky (Kentucky leads 20-17)
Ole Miss - Vandy (Ole miss leads 47-31-2)
Arkansas - South Carolina (Arkansas leads 11-7)

I would say that over time most of these teams have similar overall records because the teams normally finish around the same place in their respective divisions. I understand you are saying it is not fair that we get Tenn and Ole Miss gets Vandy but lets face it we are better than Ole Miss so it is probably OK that we have a tougher game. I think the matchups are fair and as was said before there would be a huge uproar if some of these matchups were dissolved.

 

[Honden]

I'd rather end the series with Auburn. Too bad they happen to be in the same division...sigh.

 

[p'colabamaman]

I don't think us or the UT fans would want to stop playing each other. It's just too big of a rivalry.

 

[BigAl5833]

I hope the SEC never stops the permanent rival team from the other division. Football season would not be the same without the 3rd Saturday in October.

 

[nickknx865]

Ending the Alabama-Tennessee rivalry would be a huge mistake. How do you think the people on both sides who have played, coached, and watched one of the best rivalries in all of college football take that?

 

[RT3413]

For the most part the permanent (most are not rivalries) interdivisonal games are distributed fairly. Here they are:

Alabama - Tenn (Alabama leads 47-38-7)
LSU - Florida (Florida leads 30-23-3)
Auburn - UGA (Auburn leads 53-52-8)
Miss St. - Kentucky (Kentucky leads 20-17)
Ole Miss - Vandy (Ole miss leads 47-31-2)
Arkansas - South Carolina (Arkansas leads 11-7)

Nice find. Didn't realize they were that even.

But, in the end, the SEC is all about tradition - there's NO way Alabama, Tennesse, Auburn, Georgia, LSU or Florida would give up their rivalries... and they're right to keep them.

I am glad we got rid of the 2nd fixed team.... nice to rotate through the other conference every 5 years instead of 10.

 

[CapstoneGrad06]

Ending the Alabama-Tennessee rivalry would be a huge mistake. How do you think the people on both sides who have played, coached, and watched one of the best rivalries in all of college football take that?

What the Big XII did in ending the annual rivalry between Oklahoma and Nebraska, when the conference was created, wasn't one of its best ideas. I can't imagine the SEC doing the same thing with Alabama-Tennessee or Georgia-Auburn.

 

[Bama323]

I don't agree that they need to end the inter-divisional rivalies, but they do need to make the scheduling more fair. For example, there should never ever be a situation where a conference rival has a week off before a rivalry game unless both teams have the same off-week, especially not for a 10 - 15 year period.

 

[teamplayer]

I definitely want to keep the one game with UT every year. That rivalry is too good to break up in my opinion.

 

[Heavy D]

I'm a little surprised to see this thread. I really think the SEC would go back to having 2 permanent teams rather than none.

 

[bamabryan]

...and lose The EwwwwT game?!? Over my cold, dead body. It's probably my favorite game to attend, and I can't imagine a year in which we don't play the Vols.

I agree. I cannot imagine Alabama not playing Tennessee every year. This is always one of my favorite games and I look forward to it every year.

I miss seeing Auburn and Tennessee play every year also. The two teams that I love to hate the most. :biggrin:

 

[TIDE-HSV]

All I want to do is to switch AU to the east and move Vandy to the west, where each belongs geographically...

 

[Tidewater]

What the Big XII did in ending the annual rivalry between Oklahoma and Nebraska, when the conference was created, wasn't one of its best ideas.

The OU-Nebraska game was normally a fun game to watch. The Huskers ran the fumblerooskie, the first time I ever saw that play. Some poor OU DB tried to tackle an offensive lineman with a head of steam and the ball in his hands.
OU ran the play in which, at the snap of the ball, a wide receiver drops back away from the line of scrimmage, the QB bounces the ball to him (skips it off the astroturf), but since the WR is further away from the LOS than the QB, it is a lateral, not an incomplete pass. The Husker DBs stop covering their men, thinking the play is over. The OU WR then tosses the ball down the field to a wide open receiver. DBs look dumbfounded...
Fun series.

 

[CapstoneGrad06]

All I want to do is to switch AU to the east and move Vandy to the west, where each belongs geographically...

I miss playing Vanderbilt every year.

 

[RJ YellowHammer]

I miss playing Vanderbilt every year.

Must be nice for Ole Miss. The Vandy/Ole Miss game is steeped in tradition...
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[Relayer]

Not play ut every year? That's just crazy talk! One of the great traditions in the SEC!