re: The bigger injustice is the scheduling

The scheduling is overblown. Definitely that BS when the SEC had those two years of temporary schedule adjustments, was shady as hell, but the permanent opponents was fair.

Remember, when they made those arrangements Tennessee was one of the dominant teams in the country having lost six games the previous three years COMBINED. Historically they were the second best team in the SEC behind Bama - better than LSU and better than Florida. The next 10 years they were the 2nd best team in the SEC after Florida.

When the permanent opponents were picked Tennessee had been much better than Florida the previous 10 years and much better than Florida historically. If Bama was cheating they are some very stupid cheaters.

It was bad luck that Florida turned out so good under Spurrier, and that the Vols tanked 10 years after the divisions were made. But these things were unknowable when the supposed cheating took place.

What's actually going on here is the Bama is kicking the living hell out of us because they are better than us. The way to stop that is to get better and start kicking the hell out of them. Blaming referrees and league commissioners is what losers do. I'm sure if you hang out on Ole Miss boards or TAMU boards you'll find the same complaints about LSU cheating.

quote:

---

However, Vandy was our other original East permanent opponent. I think we've played Vandy more than any other East team not named Tennessee.

---

actually, it was Kentucky.
we have more wins against UK than we do total games played vs Vandy.

quote:

---

actually, it was Kentucky.
we have more wins against UK than we do total games played vs Vandy.

---

Sorry, I was speaking from an Alabama perspective.

Just move Auburn Bama to the east and move Missouri Florida to the west.
Auburn and Georgia get to keep their rivalry.
Bama and Tennessee get to keep their rivalry.

East teams:
Bama
Auburn
South Carolina
Georgia
Vanderbilt
Tennessee
Kentucky

West teams:
LSU
ATM
Florida
Ole Miss
Mississippi St
Arkansas
Missouri

Permanent Cross Games:
Ole Miss vs Vanderbilt
Florida vs Georgia (keep the tea party game rivalry intact)
Arkansas vs Tennessee or South Carolina
Missouri vs Tennessee or South Carolina
LSU vs Bama or Auburn
ATM vs Bama or Auburn

I think if Bama, Auburn, Tennessee, Georgia and Florida want to keep their rivalries going this is the best way I can figure out how to make it happen.

Flame away. I can take it.

quote:

---

Every school gets a vote.

---

this is the problem with a strict democracy and why our founding fathers didn't go this route. Everybody votes in their own best interest instead of what's best for the group. LSU gets shafted more than any other school by this arrangement, but nobody else cares. All other SEC west teams benefit by LSU having a rougher schedule, and by themselves having a weak annual cross division opponent. And other east teams benefit from florida and Georgia having a rougher schedule. But its not a big a deal to florida and georgia, because their main competition (each other) also has an equally tough cross rival in Auburn/LSU, so its not imbalanced like the LSU/Bama side. Auburn is the other team getting hosed by this as much as LSU.
Not coincidentally LSU and Auburn had 2 of the toughest schedules in the country this year.

quote:

---

Something tells me these "traditions" wouldn't be so important if Bama was playing a powerhouse every year while LSU was playing a cupcake instead and sneaking in the back door of the conference championship/playoffs.

---

you do realize that Tenn and UGA have the two highest all-time winning percentages in the East, right?
and they are also tied with each other for most SEC championships of East teams.

quote:

---

I just wish other teams (Bama) would have to play a few tough teams every now and then,

---

I agree with you on this...and apparently so does Saban. He's the one who says the conference should mandate all non-conference games be against Power 5 teams. He also wants a 9th conference game. Much of it is up to the SEC.

Saban gets it. But he's not going to play a schedule any harder than his competition has to. That's for chumps like LSU to do.

quote:

---

could we please stop talking about what happened at Tennessee 50 years ago? Im talking about now. today. modern football. and going forward.

---

ok. let’s look at just the last 8 years

seasons with 9 or more wins:
Florida - 3
Tennessee - 2

seasons with 4 wins or less
Florida - 2
Tennessee - 1

seasons finishing in top 25
Florida - 3
Tennessee - 2

quote:

---

I actually like our schedule. Gives us the better resume, and makes us the more seasoned team when Alabama rolls around.

Bottom line is, if we are the better team, it shouldn't be a problem. The greater the challenge, the greater the reward.

Also, over the next few years we're going to be getting even better.

---

That’s not true. If the college playoff system mirrored that of the NFL, sure. But the OP’s point is that because of the scheduling disparity, LSU is working without a net, while Bama has a net, full safety harnesses, etc.

I agree that the tougher schedule may make you more battle tested, but it also leads to a greater chance of ending up with an extra loss, greater fatigue, more injuries, etc. from having to play your starters way more minutes.

And at the end of the season, while you may be more battle tested than any of the other 4 teams in the playoffs, you’re still on the outside looking in because you have that extra loss.