re: Time to let the LSU, Ark, Ole Miss, and Miss St pod idea go

Jimbo has hit his ceiling with A&M

"Quite frankly, that’s how it should be anyway. It makes the most sense. A&M is more of a rival to us than Arkansas, and we’ve played them way more times than Arkansas."

LSU has played Arkansas more times than they have played A&M

Teams go up and down with a few exceptions. Geographically is the only way that makes sense. But I think the pod makes little difference overall since it is only 3 other teams.

UT, A&M, OK, Ark
Mizz, UK, Vandy, Tenn (aka murderers row)
Aub, UGA, FLA, SC
LSU, ALA, M St, OM

quote:

---

Historically, Arkansas is a better football program than Texas A&M anyways.

---

First of all, I never said anything about the history
between Texas and Texas A&M.

Second, LSU has played A&M more than 50 times. That’s a lot more than we’ve played Arkansas.

Third, Arkansas’s program is absolute shite compared to A&M’s right now. A&M has completely dominated them since A&M joined the SEC.

Fourth, A&M has won 2 of the last three versus LSU, and they’re favored to win again this year.

Animosity creates bitter rivals. I don’t see how letting Texas into the SEC but not grouping them with a rival a short distance away makes any sense at all. It’s not like they wouldn’t be playing each other regularly. Also, A&M isn’t Afraid of Texas in football at this point. If anything they should welcome the opportunity to beat them as much as possible while they are down. If they voted to let them in, then they shouldn’t object to the common sense grouping. Albeit, there may be more conference realignment before Texas gets here anyway, and these prognostications are all moot

quote:

---

A&M traditionally isn’t as good as Arkansas

---

How far back is “traditionally”. Traditionally Army is a national powerhouse.

quote:

---

It makes the most sense. A&M is more of a rival to us than Arkansas, and we’ve played them way more times than Arkansas.

---

We've actually played A&M more than we've played Auburn.

This is from Saturday Down South:

quote:

---

3. Texas A&M
More natural rival: Texas

Why LSU feels the rivalry: Finally, LSU can get on Interstate 10 and drive to an SEC rival in a few hours. This is the natural geographic rivalry Arkansas never was. LSU graduates flock to Houston for jobs and long to trash talk Aggies. Plus, Texas A&M took John Chavis away from LSU.

Why Texas A&M does not: A win over LSU would be important to A&M mainly because the Aggies did it and Texas didn’t.

Why neither team feels it: LSU has won five straight against the Aggies and is 4-0 against them since they joined the SEC. For this to be a rivalry, A&M needs to start showing some resistance.

Signs of LSU’s antipathy: Calling Texas friends for Aggie jokes and ways to heckle the yell leaders.

Signs of A&M’s antipathy: Avoiding Houston restaurants and bars in fear of obnoxious LSU fans after Tiger wins.

---

However, we couldn't care less about John Chavis, but some of the old-timers are still pissed about John David Crowe. The latter created a disdain for both Texas A & M AND Bear Bryant.

The best way to break it up (if you are going to have 4 divisions, pods, whatever) is like this:

Division "A"

Texas, OU, A&M, Arkansas

Division "B"

LSU, Ole Miss, Miss. St., Missouri

Division "C"

Alabama, Auburn, Tennessee, Vandy

Division "D"

Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Kentucky.

With that, you play a conference schedule that consist of each team playing the three other teams in their division and them some combination of 5-6 games against teams from the other divisions. Could be a 3-2-2-2 format. Could be 1 division plays another division on a rotating basis (similar to what the NFL does)

Is that breakdown completely "fair" relative to the current state of all the programs? Probably not. But "fair" is totally subjective and there will NEVER be complete agreement amongst the schools as to what is "fair". However, this division works geographically from West to East and, more importantly, it would preserve virtually every traditional rivalry except for Auburn/Georgia. Because they would be in the same division Texas would play OU and A&M every year. Same for Alabama vs. Tenn and Auburn, as well as Florida v. Georgia.

Does LSU, on paper, seem to benefit the most from that breakdown? Absolutely. But that is simply just a byproduct of location more than anything else and in an imperfect process this is about the best you can do to both split the teams up AND easily preserve the traditional rivalries that are so deeply held.

quote:

---

That’s without me even reminding you that we recently did this and it stayed divisions. I haven’t even brought up the fact that theirs never been pods in cfb history

---

Recently was a decade ago and it was 12 to 14 teams. Things are going to change. This is all assuming teams aren’t added from ACC. Conference moves to a 9 game schedule from 8. If you stay in true divisions, it will take 8 years to play every other division home/away if you drop the permanent cross opponent. The league is about generating revenue and some need to realize it’s coming. You play your pod, then 6 additional games. Student athletes will get opportunity to visit every stadium in a four year span. Adding OU and Texas blows up the new model for CFP 12 team model.

Pod 1
OU, Texas, Arkansas, Mizzou
Pod 2
LSU, A&M, Ole Miss, State
Pod 3
Alabama, Auburn, Vandy, Tennessee
Pod 4
Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, Kentucky

We need to just go ahead and add 4 more teams and make 4 5 team divisions. Let’s add Ga tech, fla st, Clemson, and ok st. Maybe Baylor instead of Ga tech.