SEC Pods and Semifinal Play-In

[DAG 33,964]

Good lord some of you guys are weak. Stop whining and learn resilience. 

[ClaytonAU 4,606]

12 minutes ago, DAG said:

Good lord some of you guys are weak. Stop whining and learn resilience. 

Little Brother Syndrome 

[W.E.D 11,070]

46 minutes ago, DAG said:

Good lord some of you guys are weak. Stop whining and learn resilience. 

33 minutes ago, ClaytonAU said:

Little Brother Syndrome 

Playing Bama and UGA have never stopped us from being good.  They didn't stop us in 2004, 2010, 2013, 2017, etc.  LSU has probably been the biggest thorn in our side where we slipped up those years and probably 2005 and 2007.  Both those losses kept us out of the SECCG.

[IronMan70 3,277]

It's a moot point because with 16 teams we're going to pods and UGA, bama, won't be in the same pod. Permanent cross pod rivalries won't work in a 9 game 3+6 conference schedule which is what gives you the 2 year rotation. Math will decide it. 

Edited January 12, 2022 by IronMan70

[W.E.D 11,070]

15 minutes ago, IronMan70 said:

It's a mute point because with 16 teams we're going to pods and UGA, bama, won't be in the same pod. Permanent cross pod rivalries won't work in a 9 game 3+6 conference schedule which is what gives you the 2 year rotation. Math will decide it. 

[IronMan70 3,277]

20 minutes ago, W.E.D said:

That too, HAHAHAHA.

[AUinMS9528 1,086]

4 hours ago, W.E.D said:

If we can get out of our own way and on the same page, we're good. 

You’re absolutely right!   This seems to be a consistent problem.  Hence, JABA becoming such a common saying.  
I wish the PTB would just fork over tons of money to finance everything and let the guys who know what they’re doing do their thing.  🤣

[AUwent 3,747]

6 hours ago, W.E.D said:

Playing Bama and UGA have never stopped us from being good.  They didn't stop us in 2004, 2010, 2013, 2017, etc.  LSU has probably been the biggest thorn in our side where we slipped up those years and probably 2005 and 2007.  Both those losses kept us out of the SECCG.

The only year of those four in which UGA and UAT were both roughly as good as they are now was 2017. And guess what? We were completely out of gas by the time we got to the SECC (granted, I've been on record in believing that it wouldn't have mattered had we not royally choked in Red Stick).

Edited January 12, 2022 by AUwent

[W.E.D 11,070]

10 minutes ago, AUwent said:

The only year of those four in which UGA and UAT were both roughly as good as they are now was 2017. And guess what? We were completely out of gas by the time we got to the SECC (granted, I've been on record in believing that it wouldn't have mattered had we not royally choked in Red Stick).

We weren't out of gas. Someone got hurt.

That's gonna happen at times. 

[AUwent 3,747]

1 hour ago, W.E.D said:

We weren't out of gas. Someone got hurt.

That's gonna happen at times. 

And when you play tougher opponents, it tends to take a greater physical toll on your players. Thus, more injuries.

2 hours ago, Beaker said:

Ahhh.   I see what you did.  You agree now, but hid your concurrence at the end of your post.   Uh huh, that was tricky.  I will read more closely, what you post.  hahaha

 

Not trying to convince you, but I can't name another team that has to play such a schedule where you are playing two teams like bama and GA annually, then you know you will likely have to beat GA the second time you play them to get to the playoffs.  And you playing in a division where 3 of the top 5-7 national recruiting classes land.  You just hope you are top 10 recruiting class so you can outcoach the more talented teams.  That is real and legit.      What other team in America has that level of competition and faces a double trial of such to get to the playoffs?  Wisc may play OSU twice if they both reach their conf championship this year, but they rarely play them regular season.   

Keep in mind Venables said, "I didn't like their (Auburn's conference) alignment," when asked why he did not take the Auburn job.  There is some speculation about his inference, but conference alignment makes a lot more sense and more in context than calling a "good ol boy network" some kind of "alignment".   Yeah OU will join the fray, but he has a few yrs to earn his second contract before that happens, beating up on the B12.  I would have done the same thing, if I were honest. 

 

You know which job I would want based on schedules, resources and close proximity to talent?   Right now....Clemson.  

 

The post quoted above (from the USCw thread) takes the words right out of my mouth. It is possible that who we have to play is actively hurting our value as a job. And if that's the case, I couldn't give a rat's bare behind about TRUDISHUN, especially if we're only hosting/going to certain opponents once every 12 years. 

I really hope @IronMan70is right--I've seen one proposal that has perma cross-pod opponents, and of course ours were UGA and LSU.

Edited January 13, 2022 by AUwent

[Tigerpro2a 5,650]

12 hours ago, W.E.D said:

Alabama nor UGA are stopping us from being great.  Ourselves are the only road block.

If we can get out of our own way and on the same page, we're good.  That just rarely seems possible for Auburn to accomplish.

This is true. If you look back...years that we get throttled by UGA and Bama are the same years we lose to MSST, SCAR, UT, LSU, etc. We do fine when we have a good team. It is actually a very good gauge of how good a team we have. 

[Beaker 2,457]

On 1/12/2022 at 5:05 PM, AUwent said:

And when you play tougher opponents, it tends to take a greater physical toll on your players. Thus, more injuries.

The post quoted above (from the USCw thread) takes the words right out of my mouth. It is possible that who we have to play is actively hurting our value as a job. And if that's the case, I couldn't give a rat's bare behind about TRUDISHUN, especially if we're only hosting/going to certain opponents once every 12 years. 

I really hope @IronMan70is right--I've seen one proposal that has perma cross-pod opponents, and of course ours were UGA and LSU.

I hope the conference does not strap us with UGA bma and LSU every single year, rotating in the likes the other elite SEC programs.   I just want an even playing field - just even.   Not an advantage - JUST EVEN!

[Win4AU 4,052]

Its all cyclical.  In the 80s it was a lot of Auburn, Tennessee.  In the 90s it was all Florida, Tennessee.  In the 2000's it was a lot of Florida, LSU, UGA, 2010 - present a lot of Bama.  I'm sure when Saban retires it'll be a lot of UGA and maybe TaMu? Maybe Tennessee and Florida will reemerge as the top?  Maybe Harsin will make Auburn a consistent contender for once?  Maybe Texas and Oklahoma have a run?  Maybe Brian Kelly stops embarrassing himself and taps into that Louisiana recruiting base and dominates?  Its kind of like the weather in Alabama.  If you don't like it wait a day or in this case year.

Edit to add Uga - good early 80s, average mid 80s - early 2000s, above average 2000s - 2020s Bama average 80s, good early 90s, average till late 2000s, Auburn good mid 80s, average 90s, above average 2000s, 1 great year and above average the rest of the 2010s.

Edited January 14, 2022 by Win4AU

[McLoofus 35,182]

5 minutes ago, Win4AU said:

Its all cyclical.  In the 80s it was a lot of Auburn, Tennessee.  In the 90s it was all Florida, Tennessee.  In the 2000's it was a lot of Florida, LSU, UGA, 2010 - present a lot of Bama.  I'm sure when Saban retires it'll be a lot of UGA and maybe TaMu? Maybe Tennessee and Florida will reemerge as the top?  Maybe Harsin will make Auburn a consistent contender for once?  Maybe Texas and Oklahoma have a run?  Maybe Brian Kelly stops embarrassing himself and taps into that Louisiana recruiting base and dominates?  Its kind of like the weather in Alabama.  If you don't like it wait a day or in this case year.

The only one I don't see ever getting back to full strength is Tennessee. Maybe for a minute but I don't see them getting all the way back for sustained success. 

I do hope we get there and I think we can. 

[Win4AU 4,052]

3 minutes ago, McLoofus said:

The only one I don't see ever getting back to full strength is Tennessee. Maybe for a minute but I don't see them getting all the way back for sustained success. 

I do hope we get there and I think we can. 

Tennessee just needs the right coach like anyone else.  With the growth Nashville is going through and Georgia being 2-3 hrs away there is no reason they can't be really good.  They have a fan base that is just as hungry as anyone else to be really good at football.  Is Heupel the guy?  maybe.  maybe not.  He did decent in year 1.  I though Pruitt was going to do well there.  He'll probably end up back at Bama for coach rehab sooner or later.  

[AUwent 3,747]

Looking at the OP, I could see semifinals being in place of a 12th regular season game, though I'm not crazy about the pod setup or that the semifinals are Thanksgiving weekend. Go with SECN's setup and have the semifinals be the week after so everyone can get two bye weeks.

Edited January 24, 2022 by AUwent

[AUBwins 10,074]

I just want to jump the first hurdle and get Utx and OK here. It will happen but curious on what the settlement will become.  

[weagl1 1,782]

 Just looking at the pod thing and trying to think about some of the implications gives me a headache.  

[Hank2020 3,199]

10 minutes ago, weagl1 said:

 Just looking at the pod thing and trying to think about some of the implications gives me a headache.  

That’s probably COVID. JS

[Beaker 2,457]

5 hours ago, weagl1 said:

 Just looking at the pod thing and trying to think about some of the implications gives me a headache.  

What you need to know:

 

bama will fight tooth and nail to claim Tenn as their 'must keep' rival game

the SEC has to keep Auburn and bama together for TV rights and OU vs Texas will stay and UGA vs UF.  Those are the biggies.  

I suspect the egg bowl will be kept in tact, but those are small potatoes in the big scheme of things.

Once you consider this, it's not hard to fill some balanced pods.  Now having said that, I doubt  the SEC office will form pods that makes a lot of sense to you and me. 

 

[Tony4AU 386]

Smoke going around some conferences want to drop divisions 

[AUwent 3,747]

4 hours ago, Beaker said:

What you need to know:

 

bama will fight tooth and nail to claim Tenn as their 'must keep' rival game

the SEC has to keep Auburn and bama together for TV rights and OU vs Texas will stay and UGA vs UF.  Those are the biggies.  

I suspect the egg bowl will be kept in tact, but those are small potatoes in the big scheme of things.

Once you consider this, it's not hard to fill some balanced pods.  Now having said that, I doubt  the SEC office will form pods that makes a lot of sense to you and me. 

 

The real question is how they would do a conference championship. 

[Beaker 2,457]

22 hours ago, Tony4AU said:

Smoke going around some conferences want to drop divisions 

I have always thought someone was on crack when they came up with the B10 divisions.  

I could see a pod system helping the conference justify a 4 team playoff for their conference champ.   That would generate two more high level games or more $$$.  I have always been a fan of such.   I have also been a fan of shrinking the season from 12 to 11 if we did something like this.   If the program doesn't feel they have much of a chance at post season play, then they should be allowed to have a 12th game (it would be against a non-SEC program of course). 

 

[AUwent 3,747]

4 hours ago, Beaker said:

I have always thought someone was on crack when they came up with the B10 divisions.  

I could see a pod system helping the conference justify a 4 team playoff for their conference champ.   That would generate two more high level games or more $$$.  I have always been a fan of such.   I have also been a fan of shrinking the season from 12 to 11 if we did something like this.   If the program doesn't feel they have much of a chance at post season play, then they should be allowed to have a 12th game (it would be against a non-SEC program of course). 

 

The old ones or the new ones? The old ones were fine aside from the names.

[oracle79 3,569]

The major fly in this ointment is the TDSOR. Other than that geography makes a lot of sense.