Here’s an interesting conspiracy theory for you.
Additional context emerges:
Hmmm. In yesterday’s post about B1G scheduling one commenter noted:
Man, I love the Dawgs, but I’m not sure I’d throw that stone. Before last season, Georgia had some fairly soft schedules.
Look at 2023 for example:
UT Martin
Ball State
South Carolina
UAB
Auburn
#20 Kentucky
Vandy
Florida
#14 Missouri
#10 Ole Miss
#21 Tennessee
GA Tech
True enough, and I had previously posted some stats comparing the season 2021-2024 that essentially pointed to the fact that part of the drop off in offensive production could be attributed to facing a tougher gauntlet of teams in 2024, especially on the defensive side of the ball, that affected the offensive and defensive production.
The difference here is the narrative that is now utilized in justifying the CFP12. Indiana played a softer schedule than Georgia’s 2023 schedule, but the Committee justified Indiana’s presence in the CFP not on quality wins or strength of schedule, but on quality losses. Since the B1G, who has argued that all conferences need to play a 9 game conference schedule, seems to justify their strength based on a competitive conference slate, it would stand to reason that the 9 games would feature a balance of the good and the bad, but that’s simply not the case for the three projected best teams in the conference.
Similarly, the SEC, remaining with an 8 game conference schedule for the foreseeable future, broke down the division barriers and could easily rewrite conference schedules each year based on the previous year’s results to arrive at a balanced schedule…but, alas, Texas. Georgia, Alabama, Florida, and Oklahoma are all given a grueling schedule while the new conference darling Longhorns get to cake walk through the season. Why? That’s the million dollar (or billion) question that a lot of people would like to know.
SEC media days are coming up. I hope that a few inquiring minds press to know what the 2026 season schedules are shaping up to look like.
The answer is money. Now, what was the question again?
Understanding the conferences racing to 16/20 members prior to cfp expansion, $ec wasn’t letting the big whutever git a sniff of texa$$/okie as their addition, would the $ec taken the pac 10 after dark institutions or chased the acc for membership, if texa$$/okie addition fell apart…
Surely you jest that an offering of soft scheduling was an inducement to get the cattle to join the conference, drop their network and bring their money. Last year was a success in my book just because we punched them in the mouth…twice and for the title.
If Florida didn’t suck so bad for the last for the last 7 out of 8 years, no one would be saying anything about the Georgia schedule. We have beaten the Handbags, the Barn and Tooth Nation into submission since 2016.
Do you realize we’ve only lost 2 games to these 3 in the last 8 years? Auburn at JHS in 2017 and Florida in the jacked-up “season” of 2020.
Yeah that 2020 FU game still bothers me. Zeus opened the game with a 75 yard run for TD on the first play. Gaytors go three and out. Bennett TD pass makes it 14-0 within the first 4 minutes of the ballgame. That’s when things fell apart.
Florida’s offense started clicking. They kept running the wheel route and our defense never adjusted to it. Bennett injured his shoulder and was benched for Mathis; they combined for three interceptions. The offense kept putting our defense in short field situations.
We lost our usual bye week before the cocktail party and had to play Kentucky away in a noon snoozer. I’m still pissed off about this game.
I’ll admit I wanted to run Lanning out of Athens that day.
My Tex-ass hate festers more and more daily. As The Ranger would say – FTMF!
Take ole Sankey up one side and down the other and he does about ass much harm as he does good.
Given the history of the two programs the last 60+ years I will be shocked if in 10 years or so Oklahoma doesn’t have a much better record as an SEC member than Texas. Texas is getting Bama under Saban hype while having an easy schedule and middling results considering the schedule.
I’ll add to the conspiracy theory and submit the easy schedule was also influenced by the SEC wanting to take advantage of the Arch Manning phenomenon and assist UT in prolonging their season and the resulting exposure for the conference.
Let’s hope he continues his family’s legacy of never winning the SEC championship.
The SEC ain’t happy about us beating them either of those times but they’re sure enough mad about it happening twice. They had a coronation in mind and that dip shit Colin Cowherd came rigjt out and said it, “This is the new SEC…”. As much as losing to Alabama again sucked I think losing to Texas and having to hear all that shit would have been worse.