I was talking about this with a friend from UF. It seems NIL in the SEC has equalized the conference to a weekly "upset or upsets" as the norm. Add in the 9th game and it becomes increasingly unlikely the SEC gets more than one maybe two 10-2 teams, potentially a couple to a few 9-3 teams with the mean trending to 8-4 for what would once be solid seasons.

Taking A&M out of the equation. With NIL teams like Kentucky, Mississippi State, Missouri, South Carolina, etc. can turn around a season in a year and beat anyone outside of maybe Bama and Georgia on any given weekend. It's not unthinkable that Ole Miss, LSU, and maybe even Texas end up with 4 losses based on the upcoming schedule.

Seems like the SEC is regressing to the mean. A 9th game makes it that much more challenging. I hope this carries weight down the road, if not, I can see a lot of strong 9-3 or 8-4 SEC teams getting jumped by 2 loss programs in the Big 12, ACC, etc. which I don't think is right.

Last year the SEC got 5 of the 12 playoff spots. (41%). The prior it was 3 of 12 (25%). That's good playoff opportunities, especially considering that the SEC hasn't put a team into the championship game since 2022. But if you are looking at things that are limiting opportunities, it's treating the Big XII and the ACC as equals. The SEC and the Big10 have far more leverage and could easily carve out more guaranteed spots. But sometimes you need a weaker business partner to make the whole thing run. So it's shortsighted to try and leverage every last opportunity. (Looking at you, t.u.)

When I was hopeful that this team wasn't ass, I believed that there were 2 to 3 top teams that will likely only lose to each other, bottom 2 to 3 teams at the bottom that only beat each other. Then in the middle we're 10 or so trans that yard wins and loses with each other, very similar to the NFL.

I still feel that way, and this Elko and crew were in that middle group, and that does not appear to be true.

Yes, the 9th conference game made it harder to make the 12 team playoff.
3 loss SEC teams not making the playoffs while 2 loss Big12 or ACC teams do will be resolved when the playoffs expand to 24.

right now it appears the SEC will only get 4 teams in the playoff:

Georgia, Bama, t.u., and Ole Miss

and the Ole Miss-t.u. loser may have to win out to make it

Sankey is an idiot that got played by the B10. SEC will now cave to the 24 team playoff they are against.

HowdyTexasAggies said:

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Sankey is an idiot that got played by the B10. SEC will now cave to the 24 team playoff they are against.

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Snakey is an idiot but it wasn't just getting played by the B1G, 9 conference games is standard for all P4 conferences now (slight quirk for ACC which has 17 teams).

So, the SEC being on board with a 24 team playoff will NOT be caving, it's quite the opposite. The SEC is now wanting it due to schedule imbalance. TX Technical will play 1 or 2 barely ranked teams, the Big 12 schedules are overall very weak, ND as well (though they do play Miami this season), the B1G is top heavy and it's not as difficult to go play on the road vs their average teams as it is in the SEC, etc.

As such, the SEC wants all 10-2 and several 9-3 SEC teams included in the playoff so deserving teams and teams better than 11-1 and 10-2 Big 12 and ACC teams are not left out.

I'd hate to see the conference champ. games go away but I think that will need to happen for a 24 team playoff.

No it is not about the 9 conference games. It is about some teams underperforming

I am glad tu lost
I am glad L$U lost if those teams take care of business against UK & OU we aren't having this conversation

Kentucky isn't classic Kentucky anymore, at least this year. They are ranked 15th and honestly should be ranked higher than that. They are probably going to make the playoff this year.

Why do you think Saban quit? He was tired??? LMAO.....no. He knew texas was going to try and money whip championships and there would be no ceiling to it. College Football will NEVER be the same, ever. Playing for a school, playing for pride and playing for legacy is over, it's all about the money. RUINED.

Kentucky is good but LSU did not pay the NIL and the contract to get Lane to BR for him to lose to Kentucky