Once the SEC expanded from 14 to 16 teams with the addition of Texas and Oklahoma, a scheduling debate ensued.
Should the league stick with an eight-game conference schedule for football or add a ninth game?
The College Football Playoff selection committee likely provided an answer when it chose only three SEC teams for its 12-team field. And that was with current eight-game scheduling format that’s in place for this season and next.
If the SEC could qualify only three teams for the playoffs this season, why would it risk a ninth conference game?
This was an odd SEC season in that there were no dominant teams as was the case with its national championship teams from 2019 through 2022. Instead, you had almost half the conference’s members still in the running for at-large playoff bids deep into the season.
I expect more of the same next season. The schedule again could play a prominent role in the parity.
Seeking a fair conference schedule is a noble quest. But it’s as futile as the pursuit of perfection.
The SEC’s newest members know all about that.
Texas went 10-2 in the regular season while qualifying for the SEC championship game and the CFP. That schedule included only one team (Georgia) currently ranked in the top 25. And the Bulldogs beat the Longhorns 30-15.
Contrast that regular-season schedule with Oklahoma’s. The Sooners played six SEC teams ranked 19th or higher in the CFP Top 25. That included No. 3 Texas, No. 7, Tennessee, No. 11 Alabama,
No wonder Oklahoma won only six regular-season games.
Texas wasn’t the only beneficiary of a lighter SEC schedule. So were Tennessee, Missouri and Ole Miss. Florida struggled to overcome a more challenging conference schedule, as did Arkansas.
Perhaps, next season, the CFP selection committee would be wise to weigh strength of schedule more in selecting and seeding teams. That would work to the SEC’s advantage.
If strength of schedule were a greater factor, the SEC might be more apt to expand its conference schedule to nine games. But what’s the point of beating yourself up with more conference games if it won’t enhance your postseason opportunities through strength of schedule. The only reason would be a heftier television package that would reward you for the risk.
And it would need to be very hefty.
The conference also might want to reconsider its nonconference scheduling, which recently has featured some early season powerhouse matchups. If the selection committee doesn’t reward you for bulking up your schedule, why bother?
Texas will take its chances. It’s playing at Ohio State in 2025.
Other examples of nonconference games that could impact the SEC’s playoff opportunities next season: LSU at Clemson, Texas A&M at Notre Dame, and Florida at Miami.
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Arkansas isn’t in the playoff discussion, and won’t be next season, either. But qualifying for a bowl game would help coach Sam Pittman keep his job. So, he won’t be celebrating a nonconference schedule that will bring Notre Dame to Fayetteville and include a game at Memphis.
He could be more optimistic about his future employment if the Razorbacks had been less ambitious in their nonconference scheduling.
My advice to SEC athletic directors: When in doubt, go MAC.
John Adams is a senior columnist. He may be reached at 865-342-6284 or john.adams@knoxnews.com. Follow him at: twitter.com/johnadamskns.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: A nine-game SEC football schedule seems less likely after this season
