re: Prediction of SEC's 3 permanent opponents in football in a 3 perm. 6 rotating schedule

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LSU’s list is actually not that hard to predict. It will be Ole Miss, Texas A&M and either Alabama or Florida.

If LSU keeps Ole Miss, it will not have Arkansas or Miss. State. Top-8 teams will play two Top 8s and one Bottom 8.

The real question is whether LSU lands with Alabama or Florida.

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It seems unlikely that Alabama and LSU remain permanent opponents in the theoretical three permanent and six rotating proposals.

Alabama will first be paired with Auburn and Tennessee. The third school will probably not be an elite program (to balance the schedules).

Florida would fit for LSU when paired with A&M and Ole Miss. Alabama might be paired with MSU or Vanderbilt in many proposals.

Y'all keep thinking Tennessee is not tier 2 in this scenario Delly and others have laid out, but aren't they?

Look at the last 20 years and tell me the Vols are top 8 when adding in Texas and OU. Just how much weight do you want to give General Neyland's 40s and 50s teams?

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That’s already been lost. It has also been made clear that A&M does not want to be in the same pod as UT, so I disregarded it. It won’t happen.

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No one cares about Aggy’s sore feelings. Their Thanksgiving game is coming back.

Will not be Florida. Both schools been trying to quit playing each other for years.

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The 2-tier "system" for football scheduling simply will not work.

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It’s not really a “system” as much as a compromise to get the lower-tier programs to buy off on a 9-game schedule.

Basically it’s (reportedly) an offer to give the lower-tier programs easier sets of permanent opponents. I sincerely doubt the SEC would ever publicly differentiate between “top 8” and “bottom 8” programs. You would just be able to figure it out based on the outcome.

It’s not about who has earned what in the SEC. It’s about the fact that the less successful programs might view a 9-game schedule as an obstacle for bowl eligibility. And most programs, in the absence of critical rivalry games, are going to lobby for the easiest group of permanent opponents that they can get. So it’s (again, reportedly) a carrot being offered to secure support from schools like Vandy, Mississippi State, Mizzou, etc.

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The SEC already decided there are 2 options
3-6 and 1-9

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I think you mean 3-6 and 1-7.

Bama will get Vandy, Miss. St., S.Carolina.

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Everything I have read was that it was either going to be a 3+6 or 1+7. Either option lets you play a home & away with the entire conference every 4 years, while 3+6 preserves more traditional rivalries.

I haven’t really seen 1+8 mentioned much as a serious option

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1-8 wouldn't make logistical sense. As you pointed out 1-7 and 3-6 are both designed to rotate through the entire conference (home and away) in four years.

There are still complications because of variations in schedule strength but 1-7 and 3-6 have fewer problems than the anything other than the pods (which I think would be better overall).

We need Tenneesee to get good to be a hard game for Alabama.

LSU

Alabama
Ole Miss
Arkansas