Future schedules with nine SEC games

[Crimson1967]

Apologies if this has been addressed elsewhere but I think it merits further discussion in its own thread.

How is the nine game schedule going to affect scheduling in the future? A particular concern is games already scheduled. Let’s take a look.

2026
September 5 At West Virginia
September 12 South Florida
September 19 Florida State

Note we don’t have an FCS game scheduled yet. I doubt we’d want to play 12 FBS so one of these has to be cancelled or pushed back. The FSU game is the return game from this year and USF is the third and final game in a series. We host WV in 2027 but I bet the series was scheduled partly because of Saban and without it being old home week for him it isn’t as important.

Then we don’t know the dates for the SEC games. Having all three to start the season helps but we still don’t know what the league will do. Having four teams having an OOC game to close the season throws a wrench into the schedule. We have always played the FCS game right before the barn but that’s probably out now so if we drop WV we’d start the season with the FCS game.

2027
West Virginia
At Ohio State

I doubt we’d get rid of a marquee matchup like Ohio State. So if we get rid of the WV game in 2026, is it moved back or is the whole series canceled?

2028
Ohio State
UT Martin
At Oklahoma State

Our last year with three games already scheduled and only FCS game scheduled.

After 2028 we have two games scheduled every year. All are FBS and in a P4 conference. In addition to a return home game with Okie Light we have home/home with:

Notre Dame (2029/30)
Georgia Tech (2030/31)
Boston College (2031/34)
Arizona (2032/33)
Minnesota (2032/33)
Virginia Tech (2034/35)

All these games are scheduled the first three weeks of the season. I’m not really concerned about games in the 2030s, although I would hate to have to drop someone like Notre Dame and Arizona is someone we have never played before.

But the next couple years are a concern, especially 2026. I would hate to have to write a check to cancel a series with West Virginia but I don’t see how we could move it unless they would be willing to play in 2035/36 as those are our next open dates.

I could live without the South Florida game. Yes, they owe us a return game but they probably be glad to take a check rather than a butt kicking. The return game with FSU is a bigger name so I doubt it would be dropped. Or we could move either to 2036.

 

[Power Eye]

I hope we don’t drop any of these games, and the added strength of schedule metric rewards us for playing better competition. I really have never had an interest in watching us play FCS or small FBS schools.

 

[Crimson1967]

I hope we don’t drop any of these games, and the added strength of schedule metric rewards us for playing better competition. I really have never had an interest in watching us play FCS or small FBS schools.

I get that but it’s the reality of the situation. The FCS games gives us a bit of a break from the grind and also makes us a bunch of money. Same with the smaller FBS games.

The SEC is tough enough as it is plus we will have a mandated P4 game going forward.

 

[Cruloc]

Apologies if this has been addressed elsewhere but I think it merits further discussion in its own thread.

How is the nine game schedule going to affect scheduling in the future? A particular concern is games already scheduled. Let’s take a look.

2026
September 5 At West Virginia
September 12 South Florida
September 19 Florida State

Note we don’t have an FCS game scheduled yet. I doubt we’d want to play 12 FBS so one of these has to be cancelled or pushed back. The FSU game is the return game from this year and USF is the third and final game in a series. We host WV in 2027 but I bet the series was scheduled partly because of Saban and without it being old home week for him it isn’t as important.

Then we don’t know the dates for the SEC games. Having all three to start the season helps but we still don’t know what the league will do. Having four teams having an OOC game to close the season throws a wrench into the schedule. We have always played the FCS game right before the barn but that’s probably out now so if we drop WV we’d start the season with the FCS game.

2027
West Virginia
At Ohio State

I doubt we’d get rid of a marquee matchup like Ohio State. So if we get rid of the WV game in 2026, is it moved back or is the whole series canceled?

2028
Ohio State
UT Martin
At Oklahoma State

Our last year with three games already scheduled and only FCS game scheduled.

After 2028 we have two games scheduled every year. All are FBS and in a P4 conference. In addition to a return home game with Okie Light we have home/home with:

Notre Dame (2029/30)
Georgia Tech (2030/31)
Boston College (2031/34)
Arizona (2032/33)
Minnesota (2032/33)
Virginia Tech (2034/35)

All these games are scheduled the first three weeks of the season. I’m not really concerned about games in the 2030s, although I would hate to have to drop someone like Notre Dame and Arizona is someone we have never played before.

But the next couple years are a concern, especially 2026. I would hate to have to write a check to cancel a series with West Virginia but I don’t see how we could move it unless they would be willing to play in 2035/36 as those are our next open dates.

I could live without the South Florida game. Yes, they owe us a return game but they probably be glad to take a check rather than a butt kicking. The return game with FSU is a bigger name so I doubt it would be dropped. Or we could move either to 2036.

By the time we get to 2036, the SEC will have expanded at the expense of the ACC

 

[Crimson1967]

By the time we get to 2036, the SEC will have expanded at the expense of the ACC

That’s true. Some of these could be conference games although I would rather take UNC and Virginia over FSU and VPI. We have enough little brothers as it is.

 

[Bama9001]

As I understand it, most of these contracts have language that allows us to reassess specifically for the possibility of going to the 9 game SEC schedule. I fully expect/hope some of these games will be dropped.

Anybody really believe that SOS will decide any playoff spots? I don't. That's why the SEC has to have 4-5 guaranteed spots in the playoffs.

There should be criteria those teams have to meet to make sure bad teams don't get in just because of conference affiliation. That said, we can have no more of what we saw last year with weak teams getting in over FAR superior teams...that's not fair to anyone. Get the best 12 teams into the playoffs, period. It will be much easier for the committee if we play weak schedules and have a gawdy record. As we've learned, we better make it easy for them.

 

[colbysullivan]

As I understand it, most of these contracts have language that allows us to reassess specifically for the possibility of going to the 9 game SEC schedule. I fully expect/hope some of these games will be dropped.

Anybody really believe that SOS will decide any playoff spots? I don't. That's why the SEC has to have 4-5 guaranteed spots in the playoffs.

There should be criteria those teams have to meet to make sure bad teams don't get in just because of conference affiliation. That said, we can have no more of what we saw last year with weak teams getting in over FAR superior teams...that's not fair to anyone. Get the best 12 teams into the playoffs, period. It will be much easier for the committee if we play weak schedules and have a gawdy record. As we've learned, we better make it easy for them.

Last year was a travesty. Any format that gives Boise St and Arizona St a bye is inherently flawed.

 

[bamaga]

As I understand it, most of these contracts have language that allows us to reassess specifically for the possibility of going to the 9 game SEC schedule. I fully expect/hope some of these games will be dropped.

Anybody really believe that SOS will decide any playoff spots? I don't. That's why the SEC has to have 4-5 guaranteed spots in the playoffs.

There should be criteria those teams have to meet to make sure bad teams don't get in just because of conference affiliation. That said, we can have no more of what we saw last year with weak teams getting in over FAR superior teams...that's not fair to anyone. Get the best 12 teams into the playoffs, period. It will be much easier for the committee if we play weak schedules and have a gawdy record. As we've learned, we better make it easy for them.

I dont either. It was suppose to matter last year, but Indiana got in with a soft as charmin schedule. I guess we will see, but I don’t see a 3 loss team getting in over a 2 loss team. At the end of the day ,just like last year you , will hear comments like ‘they can only play the schedule they have’ or ‘if you wanted in the playoff, you should win more games’ . It’s all good now, but we will See.

I say win them all and leave no doubt!

 

[bamaga]

I like the years we play 2 P4 teams OOC, reminds me of the seventies when we played 2 or 3 . Of course we only had 6 SEC games back then

 

[BamaInBham]

I like the years we play 2 P4 teams OOC, reminds me of the seventies when we played 2 or 3 . Of course we only had 6 SEC games back then

And in general, the SEC, was not NEARLY as tough as it is now.

 

[selmaborntidefan]

Anybody really believe that SOS will decide any playoff spots? I don't. That's why the SEC has to have 4-5 guaranteed spots in the playoffs.

I honestly don't care what anyone says - SoS has NEVER been used to determine....well, anything. We TALK about SoS a lot, we disparage teams a lot, but when IF EVER has this actually happened?

Obviously there were objections before this, but the first time I personally recall SoS being mentioned was the controversy where Penn State was voted national champion in 1982 over the nation's sole unbeaten team, SMU. But even then, what exactly was the controversy? Penn State was ranked #2 going into the Sugar Bowl, they beat #1, discussion over. SMU entered the bowls at #4, won a ho-hum 7-3 Cotton Bowl over #6 Pitt, and ended the year #2.

And a review of the teams that won the national championship shows conclusively nobody ever gave a real damn about the "strength of schedule." Go look at the schedules of the following champions and tell me they had any REAL challenges at all - or more than one at most:

1973 Notre Dame
1976 Pittsburgh
1980 Georgia
1984 BYU
1990 Georgia Tech

Complaints every single year about the schedule - and every single one won the national championship.

No matter how often the voters (whether AP, UPI, coaches, or CFP) SAY they look at SoS, they don't. Only the BCS took it somewhat into account. And in a 12-team field it matters less anyway. Oregon was the #1 seed last year, won their conference and were undefeated - and had the toughest route to the championship as a "reward."

Fans, of course, ALWAYS complain that "Team I don't like didn't play anybody," but at the same time it's hardly conclusive proof of anything, too.