SEC Condsidering 1 Division

[MisterGopher]

"The focus in football is on a single division right now," Sankey told reporters. "The real debate is eight or nine [conference] games. That doesn't mean divisions are completely erased from our consideration but they're not at the forefront of our thinking."

So far, it appears one division remains the runaway favorite.

SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey Says Conference Is Considering Moving to 1 Division

SEC commissioner Greg Sankey said Thursday that the conference is "leaning heavily" toward switching to a one-division alignment for football. Sankey told <a...

syndication.bleacherreport.com

 

[Some guy]

If they build the schedule wrong it will be dumb

 

[Goldmember]

Bluff. They’ll do two divisions and 8 games.

They’ll just move AL and Auburn to the East, MO to the West, and put TX and OK in the West.

People think the B1G’s divisions are lopsided; the SEC East has won the conference only once in 13 years.

 

[MNfootballfan]

Bluff. They’ll do two divisions and 8 games.

They’ll just move AL and Auburn to the East, MO to the West, and put TX and OK in the West.

People think the B1G’s divisions are lopsided; the SEC East has won the conference only once in 13 years.

Similar to the Big Ten East. If you put Alabama in the East or Ohio State in the Big Ten West instantly that division is viewed as the 'better division.' No, they just have the best team.

 

[A_Slab_of_Bacon]

I feel like these "considering 1 division" articles are on a timer.

Been a ton of them since they announced adding Oklahoma and ... whatever that other school is.

 

[Gophers_4life]

If they build the schedule wrong it will be dumb

They're going to get 3-4 teams in to the 12 team CFP every year, and the payout is going to be based on how many teams you get in.

It's not going to matter how they do their CCG.

 

[Some guy]

They're going to get 3-4 teams in to the 12 team CFP every year, and the payout is going to be based on how many teams you get in.

It's not going to matter how they do their CCG.

Excuse me for thinking conferences are important in college football

 

[Ope3]

They're going to get 3-4 teams in to the 12 team CFP every year, and the payout is going to be based on how many teams you get in.

It's not going to matter how they do their CCG.

I know I am a broken record, but if the CCG determines a Bye (and/or Homefield) in the BCS Playoff, then YES it will certainly matter how the SEC and every other conference does it.

To me that is the biggest driver for all the conferences either to actually committing or even considering a change.

 

[Goldmember]

The real story here is that they are still thinking about 8 games. The 8 game schedule has been an absolutely huge advantage for the SEC.

 

[Ope3]

The real story here is that they are still thinking about 8 games. The 8 game schedule has been an absolutely huge advantage for the SEC.

There is nothing stopping the other conferences from going back to 8 if they felt that was a way to level the playing field.

It might impact their Media Rights revenue, but that's up to them.

 

[MaxyJR1]

I tend to like the 1 division with top 2 going to Champ game. It will put your best two teams fighting for home field and/or bye in the playoffs in the game. It eliminates a weak division champ getting into the playoff, by pulling off an upset they shouldn't have had the chance at.

Football is about the best teams IMO and not like the NCAA basketball, where we love a Cinderella.

At this point:

• PAC 12 has 5-6 teams in the hunt for the champ game of the best 2.
• B1G has its champ game being played on Thanksgiving weekend and then a Cinderella game on Dec 3.
• SEC will likely have its 2nd best team at home on Dec. 3rd
• ACC would have played out the same with best 2.
• Big 12 will have its top two teams and has 6-7 teams still in the hunt.

Committee would put emphasis on playing in the Championship Game when determining playoffs.

 

[Plato]

The number of conference games will be determined by the TV companies paying conferences big $$$.
There are those who feel that injuries are more likely to occur in a conference game than in a cupcake game.
I would like to see objective evidence of that.
If there are no divisions the conference championship will be determined by a team's W/L conference record. A conference championship game would be redundant.
The BIG and the SEC will likely have three teams each in the field of twelve.
I hope bowl games remain for teams not in the twelve.

 

[Gophers_4life]

I know I am a broken record, but if the CCG determines a Bye (and/or Homefield) in the BCS Playoff, then YES it will certainly matter how the SEC and every other conference does it.

To me that is the biggest driver for all the conferences either to actually committing or even considering a change.

That's just the top 4, but you still have a good point.

What is a hypothetical scenario where the SEC manipulates the top 4 (not the top 12) by the way they do their CCG, in your mind?

 

[Gophers_4life]

The real story here is that they are still thinking about 8 games. The 8 game schedule has been an absolutely huge advantage for the SEC.

Because of Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and Kentucky having yearly rivalry games with Florida State, Georgia Tech, Clemson, and Louisville. So those four have a defacto +1.

Same with Iowa and Iowa State.

 

[Gophers_4life]

Excuse me for thinking conferences are important in college football

They are, I don't get your point?

 

[Goldmember]

Because of Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and Kentucky having yearly rivalry games with Florida State, Georgia Tech, Clemson, and Louisville. So those four have a defacto +1.

Same with Iowa and Iowa State.

I hear people mention this all the time. But it’s only a defacto +1 from a strength of schedule perspective, and that’s only if they still play another G5 opponent on top of those rivalries (often, they don’t).

But the point is not how many G5 games the SEC is playing anyway. The point is that, mathematically, the more conference teams play each other the less likely it is they will have teams among them that have 0 or 1 loss. That’s generally how they have ended-up getting a second team in the CFP.

 

[Gophers_4life]

Don't get me wrong, I think they should be playing 9 conf games.

4 out of 16 isn't enough to make an exception for the whole conf.

And it gives them more games to sell to TV for their conf deal.

 

[Ope3]

That's just the top 4, but you still have a good point.

What is a hypothetical scenario where the SEC manipulates the top 4 (not the top 12) by the way they do their CCG, in your mind?

I don't think it's about the SEC manipulating the Top 4, which may not even be possible depending on the format. The most likely format I have heard is:

- 12 Teams
- 6 Auto-Bids to the Top 6 Conference Champions
- Top 4/Bye Conference Champions only

Now caveat, it is a big assumption that actually gets passed. If it does, then the SEC can not get more than 1 in the Top 4.

A Division-less format would ensure:

- One of their Top 2 teams is eligible for the Top 4. No chance (or very little) that say a 4 loss team (including Non-Conference) games gets in the Title game in pulls the upset (ie like a Big 10 West Team this year)
- The stakes of a Top 4/Bye ensures there is interest in the game itself, even if both teams are likely to make the field anyway.

 

[Gophers_4life]

I don't think it's about the SEC manipulating the Top 4, which may not even be possible depending on the format. The most likely format I have heard is:

- 12 Teams
- 6 Auto-Bids to the Top 6 Conference Champions
- Top 4/Bye Conference Champions only

Now caveat, it is a big assumption that actually gets passed. If it does, then the SEC can not get more than 1 in the Top 4.

A Division-less format would ensure:

- One of their Top 2 teams is eligible for the Top 4. No chance (or very little) that say a 4 loss team (including Non-Conference) games gets in the Title game in pulls the upset (ie like a Big 10 West Team this year)
- The stakes of a Top 4/Bye ensures there is interest in the game itself, even if both teams are likely to make the field anyway.

I had not seen that the top 4 & bye's could only go to conference champs.

They absolutely SHOULD do it that way. It would be the same as like the top 4 in the NFL going to division winners, which is also correct. But I don't know if the SEC will vote for that.


If your point ultimately just boils down to "divisions makes it possible for a low end division winner to pull off a major upset and therefore remove a top 4 & bye from the SEC, where as division-less would all but guarantee that couldn't happen" -- then I agree, you have it correct.

 

[GophersInIowa]

I had not seen that the top 4 & bye's could only go to conference champs.

They absolutely SHOULD do it that way. It would be the same as like the top 4 in the NFL going to division winners, which is also correct. But I don't know if the SEC will vote for that.


If your point ultimately just boils down to "divisions makes it possible for a low end division winner to pull off a major upset and therefore remove a top 4 & bye from the SEC, where as division-less would all but guarantee that couldn't happen" -- then I agree, you have it correct.

It would be correct in college football but it's incorrect in the NFL. Winning a division of 4 teams is a lot different than winning a conference with 16 teams.

IMO, division winners in the NFL should get a guaranteed spot in the playoffs but they should not be guaranteed a top 4 seed. It's stupid that an 8-9 team could be hosting a 13-4 team just because their division sucks.

Sorry, a bit off topic there.

 

[Ope3]

I had not seen that the top 4 & bye's could only go to conference champs.

They absolutely SHOULD do it that way. It would be the same as like the top 4 in the NFL going to division winners, which is also correct. But I don't know if the SEC will vote for that.


If your point ultimately just boils down to "divisions makes it possible for a low end division winner to pull off a major upset and therefore remove a top 4 & bye from the SEC, where as division-less would all but guarantee that couldn't happen" -- then I agree, you have it correct.

Yes, I think that is the key point for arriving at a decision. I have been saying all along until the BCS Playoff format it determined then it's really impossible to say what is the best method for Conference Title selection .

The Conferences should not make a decision until they have to (or their Media Partners dictate) I was curious why the PAC 12 just went ahead and did it this year, unless they figured everyone was going to do it anyway. Also they missed out on the current format often, so maybe they figured this was some way to get in. Frequently ahead of time they have known no matter what happens, their Champ had no chance.

 

[Gophers_4life]

I don't think there's much chance USC beats both UCLA and Notre Dame and then wins the champ game, so the PAC will miss the playoff again. They can't wait for the 12 team playoff.

 

[Ope3]

I don't think there's much chance USC beats both UCLA and Notre Dame and then wins the champ game, so the PAC will miss the playoff again. They can't wait for the 12 team playoff.

From a purely selfish standpoint, I hope there is something riding on the PAC 12 Title other than a potential Rose Bowl bid. I will be in Vegas anyway, so I am going.

Of course if there isn't a BCS Bid on the line, I am sure I can find another way for it to have additional personal interest.

 

[disco]

Because of Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and Kentucky having yearly rivalry games with Florida State, Georgia Tech, Clemson, and Louisville. So those four have a defacto +1.

Same with Iowa and Iowa State.

It's not just that. Historically speaking, there are teams that have been together in the SEC almost since the beginning, that have very rarely played each other. Not talking about how Minnesota and Indiana went a number of years w/o playing, but we're talking like, 10 times in 80 years - IN THE SAME CONFERENCE. SEC scheduling has always been really weird. I know someone explained it here once how and why that is, but I can't find it.

 

[disco]

I hope bowl games remain for teams not in the twelve.

Of course they will. They exist as cheap programming during the holidays for ESPN networks and get really good ratings, even for the piddliest bowls. People love football. The bowls won't go anywhere.

 

[Great Plains Gopher]

"The focus in football is on a single division right now," Sankey told reporters. "The real debate is eight or nine [conference] games. That doesn't mean divisions are completely erased from our consideration but they're not at the forefront of our thinking."

So far, it appears one division remains the runaway favorite.

SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey Says Conference Is Considering Moving to 1 Division

SEC commissioner Greg Sankey said Thursday that the conference is "leaning heavily" toward switching to a one-division alignment for football. Sankey told <a...

syndication.bleacherreport.com

What a dumb idea - most teams will never get above water unless there is a basketball like "tournament" at the end of the season - which would add extra games for which there would be no time or room. Regional east-west or north-south sub-conferences mean a lot to fans as the West division does to us. Add USC, UCLA, Washington, dump them into one long conference and we will have little to play for. Again, it is a dumb idea.

 

[Great Plains Gopher]

"The focus in football is on a single division right now," Sankey told reporters. "The real debate is eight or nine [conference] games. That doesn't mean divisions are completely erased from our consideration but they're not at the forefront of our thinking."

So far, it appears one division remains the runaway favorite.

SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey Says Conference Is Considering Moving to 1 Division

SEC commissioner Greg Sankey said Thursday that the conference is "leaning heavily" toward switching to a one-division alignment for football. Sankey told <a...

syndication.bleacherreport.com

They are busting up other conferences, then busting up their own to come up with an impossibly long list of teams in conference, the majority of which have little or no chance at a title ever. As Sid would have called them, "geniuses."

 

[Ope3]

Of course they will. They exist as cheap programming during the holidays for ESPN networks and get really good ratings, even for the piddliest bowls. People love football. The bowls won't go anywhere.

I don't think it's a given the Bowls last forever, and even if they do I think several will go by the wayside.

They get really good ratings now, but will they in the future when they have to compete with 10 Playoff Games instead of 2? What if more and more players opt out or hit the Transfer Portal, will there still be enough viewership? That's certainly possible if not cracking the Top 12 is seen as an abject failure.

The majority are owned by ESPN, maybe they feel like they can make as much profit just talking about the BCS Playoffs and pull the plug on a lot of them.

They probably last but I'm not positive. I used to watch 15 or more per year, loved it. Totally got into Bowl Pick 'Ems. They were already tough to handicap, but with so many opt outs and interim coaches it became even more of a guessing game. Not worth my time.

Last year I only watched the Gopher Bowl game and the Rose Bowl. That was plenty.

 

[disco]

Oh, I think some bowls will go by the wayside. They come and go every season to some extent. But I think overall, about the same number of teams will be playing in the postseason (playoffs or bowls)

 

[Ope3]

I don't think there's much chance USC beats both UCLA and Notre Dame and then wins the champ game, so the PAC will miss the playoff again. They can't wait for the 12 team playoff.

How much chance now? I presume now it's win and they're in. Redemption game vs Utah on a neutral field.

From a purely selfish standpoint, I hope there is something riding on the PAC 12 Title other than a potential Rose Bowl bid. I will be in Vegas anyway, so I am going.

Of course if there isn't a BCS Bid on the line, I am sure I can find another way for it to have additional personal interest.

It worked out for me personally. Should be a great environment. Last year was probably 2/3rds Utah fans (against Oregon). Good crowd, announced 10k short of a sellout. With the Trojan fan base in LV and close to LA, have to think it will be full.

Early start, 5pm Vegas time on Friday. Psyched.