Preserving rivalries vs. pursuing playoffs: SEC scheduling will favor one

SANDESTIN, Fla. — Maybe the Southeastern Conference slogan should change to ‘It just means less.”

After all, less is more. Right?

Several football coaches speaking at the SEC spring meetings on Tuesday at the Sandestin Hilton Resort seemed to embrace that familiar oxymoron.

Their message was clear: Fewer conference games are more advantageous to reaching the College Football Playoff.

The CFP expands from four teams to 12 in 2024. Whaddya know, that’s also the year the SEC expands to 16 teams with the addition of Texas and Oklahoma.

The original thought was that the SEC would change its scheduling model from eight conference games to nine. Under the nine-game models, schools would rotate six other opponents each season.

More conference teams meant more conference games for the SEC, where it just means more.

But some coaches worry more SEC games lessen the chances of getting into the College Football Playoff.

What if Auburn finished 9-3 with competitive losses to Georgia, Alabama and Florida? Would the Tigers be passed over by a 10-2 team from a lesser conference like the ACC or Big 12?

As Aggies are all too aware, there are no assurances. In 2020, Texas A&M was left out of the four-team playoff, despite having an 8-1 record and only losing to eventual national champion Alabama. The Aggies were passed over in favor of Notre Dame and Ohio State, which played only six games.

That’s what worries SEC coaches.

“There’s a ton of variables here relative to revenue created, relative to the metric of strength of schedule, relative to the playoff,” Florida coach Billy Napier said. “To me, that’s the most critical factor. How is the College Football Playoff going to view strength of schedule relative to the metrics that contribute to at-large bids?”

Auburn coach Hugh Freeze echoed those thoughts.

“If you’re an SEC opponent, and you’re really quality, and you’ve won a lot of good games, but you dropped two to top teams or a third one, do you still get in when the playoff expands?”

Still, a month ago — heck, a week ago — the move to a nine-game SEC schedule in 2024 appeared a done deal. No longer would carnivorous SEC predators take a late November break to devour an FCS cupcake.

But there’s seemingly been an uprising for downsizing.

The argument for an eight-game model which features one permanent rival and seven rotating opponents has gained traction.

Arkansas, Missouri, South Carolina and Mississippi State are reportedly against the nine-game model. Vanderbilt probably is, too. Tennessee? Ole Miss? Who knows?

Bryan Terry/USA Today Network

The Texas Longhorns and Oklahoma Sooners will join the SEC on July 1, 2024.

Surprisingly, Alabama reportedly favors the eight-game model. That’s odd because as recently as last year’s spring meetings, Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban advocated for a nine-game conference schedule.

“I think one of the more difficult things in going to nine games is we’ve tried to schedule two out-of-conference Power 5 games to improve our strength of schedule over the next seven, eight, nine, 10 years,” Saban said. “If we go to nine games, we’ll have to unwind that. My deal was always, let’s play more SEC games because we couldn’t get other people to schedule. Now, I think there’s more people in tune to scheduling.”

Applaud Saban for wanting to honor commitments to future opponents. Except that Saban has also complained about LSU, Tennessee and Auburn being Alabama’s about three permanent opponents in the nine-game model.

The nine-game model maintains traditional rivalries. LSU could still play Ole Miss and Texas A&M. Auburn could still play Georgia. Texas could play Texas A&M and Oklahoma.

An eight-game model would sacrifice playing many of those traditional rivalries on an annual basis.

Proponents argue it's worth the sacrifice. Rivalries mean a lot, but an easier path to the playoff just means more.