re: The SEC is moving to a 9 game schedule, starting Fall 2026

I dont think it will be bama......you gonna give bama tenn, auburn, and lsu? Brutal

quote:

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TAMU
Ole Miss
Alabama

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will 100% be this.

Depends on if lsu plays the other conference teams that were not on the schedule for the 2024/2025 seasons:

If Alabama is a permanent opponent then lsu would play Texas as a rotating opponent during thanksgiving week

Oklahoma @ Texas A&M
Texas @ LSU

If Oklahoma is a permanent opponent then lsu would play Oklahoma during thanksgiving week

Texas @ Texas A&M
Oklahoma @ LSU

quote:

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If Alabama is a permanent opponent then lsu would play Texas as a rotating opponent during thanksgiving week Oklahoma @ Texas A&M Texas @ LSU

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That would work logistically but I can’t see them moving A&M Texas off of Thanksgiving weekend. Also, in that scenario, who would LSU play the two years Texas rolls off the schedule?

What sec could do is have lsu play Texas 2026/2027 then Oklahoma again 2028/2029 that way both A&M and LSU will have a thanksgiving week opponent to play. I dought they will make lsu play both Texas and Oklahoma during the same years knowing that lsu and A&M don’t have thanksgiving week opponents set and stone.

I’m wondering how they will restructure the future home and home serious with SMU, Arizona state and Utah that way LSU can have 7 home games minimum each season.

This has been needed for a long time. I have the 2025 helmet schedule on my desk. While some teams have better non conference schedules than others, all sec teams have 1 cupcake game and 1 lower than a cupcake/team they have no business playing. For us, this year, our cupcake is Western Kentucky. I don’t mean to hurt anyone’s feelings, but our lower than a cupcake game is SLU. I’m hoping these are the games replaced by the 9th conference game. Will be better for fans in my opinion.

If you take SLU off our schedule and replace with an sec opponent, our non conference schedule follows the formula we should keep in place (and all other teams for that matter):

1) one tough non conf power 5 (neutral site needs to be a thing of the past). CLEMSON home and home.
2) one medium team. This is where i don’t care if we play in state schools. As long as they are D1. LA TECH at home.
3) one cupcake, but needs to at least be D1. I have mixed feelings on whether this should be Game 1 or mid November/mid season to work out injuries. WESTERN KENTUCKY at home.

So is the SEC dropping the requirement for an OOC P4 game? I would never agree to a 9 game SEC schedule and still keep the OOC p4 requirement, because the playoff committee will never reward SEC teams for strength of schedule if they lose that extra game.

Unfortunately I think Arkansas will get Texas, A&M, and Mizzou.

You’re right about the Television people & SEC not wanting to lose the Bama/LSU game annually.

Ultimately, it doesn’t matter though. Whatever teams LSU doesn’t play annually, they will play twice in four years. The rotation isn’t going to be like it was 2012-2023, which was stupid.