Filed under:
For years, the SEC has played favorites with scheduling. Will the addition of Oklahoma and Texas see that trend continue?
For that last several years, I’ve been breaking down the SEC schedules, demonstrating the structural factors that play into a team’s success (or failure) well before the season’s opening kick. And, I’ve been pretty good at spitballing — predicting Tennessee to have a big year in 2022, and last year suggesting that three teams in particular got shafted:
After being gifted a very cozy schedule in 2023, the Florida Gators receive no such favors this year.
With a bullet, they are the team facing the most rested foes coming off a bye. It’s softened somewhat by a combination of home/away/neutral. And there is a double-bye with Georgia before the WLOCP. But that’s still almost half the conference schedule. The other two rested teams are part of the SEC’s dangerous middle class too: South Carolina and Arkansas. That extra week may loom large especially in Week 7: It will be UF’s seventh straight game, on the road in Brice Williams Stadium, facing a rested Gamecocks squad. Don’t call that an upset when it almost-certainly happens.
Buckle up, Gainesville — you’re in for a long year. Good thing Florida Man is so notoriously patient and reasonable. This season could get Napier fired, and no I’m not kidding.
Results? South Carolina 5-7, Arkansas 4-8, and Florida 5-7.
Related
Who gets shafted from year to year varies, but there are a few teams that almost always get stuck with brutal scheduling. Alabama and LSU are invariably on this list of teams the SEC hammers. Then there are some teams the league loves to favor, setting them up for success: Georgia and Texas A&M are usually very high on this list. Only Aggies’ awful coaching has kept them from striking gold with their easy scheduling.
So, we dive into it again this season, but with 16 teams. I’m going to break this down into two parts because it’s simply too unwieldy otherwise. The degree of difficulty here is defined as a combination of rested opponents, back-to-back road games, and who is played on the road. Since this year begins divisionless play, we’re also adding winning teams to the matrix — Birmingham controls how hard your schedule is, not your division.
And after you see how the SEC has grossly unbalanced this, you seriously question how we can ever have a meaningful SEC Championship game.
Team
Number of Opponents Coming off Bye Weeks
Consecutive Road Trips / Teams
Teams Coming Off Bowl Seasons
Alabama:
Arkansas
Auburn
Still funny
Florida
Georgia
Kentucky
LSU
Ole Miss
Big Lots ‘Bama can never understand what a century of greatness feels like.
That’s it for Part One. We’ll hit Part Two tomorrow.
Thoughts? Reactions? Surprises?
GAMBLING PROBLEM? CALL 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (AZ/CO/IA/IL/IN/KS/KY/LA/MD/ME/MI/NC/NJ/OH/OR/PA/TN/VA/VT/WV/WY), (800) 327-5050 or visit gamblinghelplinema.org (MA). Call 877-8-HOPENY / text HOPENY (467369) (NY).
Please Gamble Responsibly. Call 1-800-522-4700 (NH), 888-789-7777 / visit ccpg.org (CT), or visit www.1800gambler.net (WV). Void where prohibited.
21+ (18+ KY/NH/WY). Physically present in AZ/CO/CT/IL/IN/IA/KS/KY/LA(select parishes)/MA/MD/ME/MI/NC/NH/NJ/NY/OH/OR/PA/TN/VA/VT/WV/WY only. Void in ONT. Eligibility restrictions apply. See terms at draftkings.com/sportsbook. On behalf of Boot Hill Casino & Resort (KS).
