re: Yahoo article about LSU schedule

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Graham,

I’m writing in regards to your article about Les Miles’ “campaign to remove Florida from the Tigers’ schedule.”

I don’t think he’s opposed to a tough schedule; he enjoys playing a tough schedule and said that himself. LSU historically plays a tough non-conference schedule and history proves this (especially compared to other SEC teams). We’ve recently played home and home series with Washington, VT, and WVU as well as neutral site games with Oregon and UNC as well as next season’s opener with TCU. We also have future home and home series with NCST, OU, and ASU. I think he doesn’t want his team to be penalized in terms of ability to get to the SEC title game compared to other teams in the West (and have less opportunity to get to the BCS or the National Title game).

I think he makes a valid point when saying the SEC disregarded tradition when adding teams like A&M and Missouri. It was purely a money/TV market grab. I think that is obvious to everyone. So why does the SEC care about protecting the tradition of Bama/UT or UGA/Auburn when the SEC tore apart A&M/Texas on Thanksgiving? Why didn’t the SEC protect traditions when they league moved from two permanent cross-divisional rivals and one rotating cross-divisional opponent per year to one permanent cross-divisional rival and two rotating cross-divisional opponents per year in 2002-2003? Why didn’t the SEC work as feverishly to save Auburn/UF or LSU/UK (a series that was much more a traditional rivalry for LSU than UF….79 meetings all time vs. UK and 59 meetings all time vs. UF; also note that since the annual UK game was discontinued, there have been 7 years we have played UF but not UK).

In terms of the computer draw, he’s made other suggestions in addition to a computer draw. He suggested counting only divisional games to determine who goes to the SEC title game or moving to a 9 game conference schedule so each team sees one more cross-divisional game per year. If LSU goes undefeated vs. the West losing to UF and UGA in the east and A&M at home loses to LSU but beats UK and Missouri in the east, assuming last season’s SEC records for the East teams, I think it would make sense for LSU to go to Atlanta over A&M.

I think his point is that with the “bridge scheduling” and 3 10-win teams in each division, the 2013 schedule should have been put together more evenly by the SEC . Have LSU/UF, SC/A&M, and UGA/Bama in a title game rematch. If a dominant team emerges, we have the divisional champ; if not, it comes down to divisional tie breakers. Instead LSU draws UF & UGA after facing USC & UF last year, while Bama trades Mizzou & UT for UK & UT and A&M trades UF & Mizzou for Vandy and Mizzou. I can’t wait to play TCU and want to play UF and UGA; however LSU’s schedule is much tougher to get through to get to Atlanta and the BCS compared to A&M and Bama. That is an objective observation.

In terms of this comment: “And really, if you want to be a conference or national champion, you should have a resume that looks the part of a national champion.” What part of Bama’s 2011 National Title looked this part until January 2012? The part where they lost the game of the century and their fans cried? I was there; their fans shook my hand, told me to stay undefeated, and win the national title. The fact that to win a national title they need to go 1-1 vs. LSU but LSU has to go 2-0 vs. them? The part of their schedule where they didn’t win their conference or division? Brad Edwards discussed prior to Bama’s selection that they had the weakest resume’ of any team to make the BCS title game.

The bottom line is that when you look at the ’12 schedule, the reason Bama was in Atlanta (and thus in the National Title game) was that they played Missouri & UT in the east while A&M lost to UF and LSU lost to UF. Had Bama switched schedules with LSU or A&M, Bama would’ve been at home the first week of December.

And for the record, two of the three SEC coaches with National Titles like the idea of doing away with the permanent cross-divisional opponents or in some manner addressing the schedule inequalities created by the current scheduling format. Saban obviously disagrees with a 9 game conference schedule or eliminating cross-divisional opponents, but he couldn’t possibly have a vested interest in the outcome of the scheduling format. He also complained about the no huddle offense’s potential harm to players’ safety; he left out the part that it might keep him from getting subs in and not give him time to make sure all his players get the correct defensive play. If he’s such an advocate for player safety, you’d think he’d lobby to limit the number of blitzes per game or make the defense declare blitzers before a play starts.

Please think about your posts and opinions before you post them in the future.

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her

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tie breaker. A win over some other SEC East team, and LSU plays Fla in SECCG

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Until this year FLa rotated on our schedule every couple of years

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