Should Auburn leave SEC West?

[Dual-Threat Rigby 8,628]

I wonder if AU recruiting would be different in GA and FL if Auburn were in the East.

AU would likely be 7-1 or better every year in the East under Malzahn. So probably.

[Elephant Tipper 430]

Your thread title should read, The UpDykes should leave the West Division, besides, UpDykes will be UpDykes wherever they take root.

[AU-HANDLEY-TIGER 205]

When the SEC expanded in 1990 the teams were divided by the top 6 historically at the time in the conference Auburn, Florida, LSU, Georgia, Tennessee, and Alabama- three went east three went west. Flash forward to today some of these teams have down years but no other team other than these have won the conference, the future will be 16 teams and four divisions so this setup is temporary anyway.

[Dual-Threat Rigby 8,628]

Missouri might officially break that streak today...

[AURealist 2,185]

Missouri might officially break that streak today...

A wrecking ball opportunity. Knock off the Gumps, win the SEC Championship, and destroy the College Football Playoffs - all in 3 hours.

[AUFlyer99 647]

Missouri might officially break that streak today...

A wrecking ball opportunity. Knock off the Gumps, win the SEC Championship, and destroy the College Football Playoffs - all in 3 hours.

Pray that it be so.

[Maverick.AU 13,279]

Is it time to revisit the idea of Auburn to leave the SEC West and move to the East? With Alabama students throwing stuff at the players and chanting obsene cheers and cheers about AU players that have been killed things are starting to get out of hand and it won't be long before something tragic happens worse than poisoning trees. It would really make more sense to put Missouri in the west anyway. I believe it would be beneficial to both schools. Thoughts?

No, theres a sense of pride playing in the toughest division in CFB. We'd still play UGA and alabama every year so that would change nothing

[keesler 5,922]

I don't want AU tucking tail and running to the weaker division. The West is the Best!

[cooltigger21 0]

I don't want AU tucking tail and running to the weaker division. The West is the Best!

As do I. We play the best and beating the best is something I take great pride in.

[InfernoOrangeSS 321]

Short answer: no

Long answer: Noooooooooooo

[PCBAuburnaFan 1]

Missouri might officially break that streak today...

A wrecking ball opportunity. Knock off the Gumps, win the SEC Championship, and destroy the College Football Playoffs - all in 3 hours.

Pray that it be so.

ill save my breath. Mizzou is going to get blown out of the water. Couple that with the fact that the games on CBS so no way will I be watching

[BeachTigger 0]

Hadn't kept up with the thread, but IMHO we flip with Mizzou and go to the East when we go to nine conference games (which I expect as Slive's parting shot). :-\

[JBiGGiE 2,488]

I don't want AU tucking tail and running to the weaker division. The West is the Best!

As do I. We play the best and beating the best is something I take great pride in.

There were times when the East was the premier division, perceptions come and go...

[Dual-Threat Rigby 8,628]

If we go to 9 games, that whole OOC perception is gonna be multiplied by 50. If we do though, there's no real reason for Auburn to move. We'd probably play Florida every year

[AUEngineer2016 407]

If we go to 9 games, that whole OOC perception is gonna be multiplied by 50. If we do though, there's no real reason for Auburn to move. We'd probably play Florida every year

I was thinking about the whole 9 conference game issue that a lot of people brought up in the offseason (looking at you Big12), and the SEC champion and runner-up essentially play the exact same amount of conference games as any team in the Big12. Since they don't have a conference championship game, they all play 9 conference games every year. But the winner of the SEC will play 8 conference games and then the SEC Championship game, so 9 conference games in total, nullifying their argument.

[cooltigger21 0]

If you are thinking that by moving to the east we'd stop playing Alabama every year, it ain't happening and I dang sure don't want to play them twice. Even if we were to beat them twice, that just means one more time I have to put up with their bs. It ain't worth it. I liked playing UT and UF every year but I also like playing LSU and now A&M each year. You lose old rivalries and make new ones.

We're eventually headed for the superconference model and they'll likely add two teams, probably to the east. They'll shift Missouri to the west to balance it out that way. We'll add one conference game each year.

[Randman5000 4,223]

Exactly. Putting up with their bs for longer is not worth having an easier schedule. Would rather beat them once and not have to put up with them.

[Dual-Threat Rigby 8,628]

If we go to 9 games, that whole OOC perception is gonna be multiplied by 50. If we do though, there's no real reason for Auburn to move. We'd probably play Florida every year

I was thinking about the whole 9 conference game issue that a lot of people brought up in the offseason (looking at you Big12), and the SEC champion and runner-up essentially play the exact same amount of conference games as any team in the Big12. Since they don't have a conference championship game, they all play 9 conference games every year. But the winner of the SEC will play 8 conference games and then the SEC Championship game, so 9 conference games in total, nullifying their argument.

I believe they knew that, the real argument was that a conference champion in the SEC could get away with not even playing the best opponents in the conference (I.E Missouri this year). You can't do that in the B12.

[aubfaninga 16]

Every time I see these threads all I see is... "should we separate from Alabama". (not West)

The Tenn/Bama rivalry is not going anywhere and neither is the Iron Bowl. Not to mention UGA/Auburn. So just for the sake of conversation let's see what happens when you take the current dividing line and move 2 teams.

SEC West

Texas A&M

LSU

Arkansas

Ole Miss

Miss State

Missouri

Vandy

SEC East

Kentucky

Tennessee

South Carolina

Georgia

Alabama

Auburn

Florida

This format would get rid of the Cross divisional rival game.(unless you argue for Tenn/Vandy)

This would make it where you would play every single team in the SEC at least once per 4 year cycle. (9 conference games only makes a 3 year cycle)

[Texan4Auburn 1,626]

You know people talk about it, that it make us look silly, or bad, or something along that lines. But lets be real, 99.9% of people respected Texas aTm for saying you know what, screw Texas. Hell I'm a Texas fan and I respect the hell out of aTm for doing it.

The rivalry has gotten bad for the state in my honest opinion. You should never fear losing a sporting even because you will have to put up with constant harassment from someone. There really is too much hatred and animosity involving this game. It's ridiculous. I even told the Alabama athletic department that with their whole Dixieland Delight crap. The universities of this state have a obligation to do what is in the best interest of the people of the state of Alabama. Campuses have been vandalized, people attacked, and killed cause of this stupid football game.

Truthfully that was one of the nice things about Chicago and where I lived. Ton of Michigan, Northwestern, Iowa, and Notre Dame alumni. Lol, they actually felt bad for us having to deal with Alabama, not the on the field stuff, but the off the field BS. Alabama and it's fanbase are a embarrassment to this state in other states. Was actually quite a few Vandy grads also, and I worked out with a guy that was David Langers roommate also haha. We would stare at Jenny McCarthy's parts together (even though she wore a black wig, and signed in under a different name).

I agree that it would be us separating from Alabama for our benefit. Course as Cool pointed out, the conference, the networks, and all that jazz would probably never let us break free of them.

[homersapien 11,337]

If we retain Bama, I'm all for it.

It would help our recruiting to play teams closer to our primary recruiting areas of Al, Ga and FL.

As for the competition issues, that will change. East won't be down forever.

[doc4aday 1,887]

I would love to see us play bammer for the 1st game of the season. You would have both teams at their healthiest, and would get this game done and over with. This would make for a better rivalry in my opinion. Playing the Iron Bowl for the 1st game would still be the same with regard to rivalry and tradition. This would keep things cleaner for sure

[homersapien 11,337]

I would love to see us play bammer for the 1st game of the season. You would have both teams at their healthiest, and would get this game done and over with. This would make for a better rivalry in my opinion. Playing the Iron Bowl for the 1st game would still be the same with regard to rivalry and tradition. This would keep things cleaner for sure

I like it!

[ShocksMyBrain 9,362]

I would love to see us play bammer for the 1st game of the season. You would have both teams at their healthiest, and would get this game done and over with. This would make for a better rivalry in my opinion. Playing the Iron Bowl for the 1st game would still be the same with regard to rivalry and tradition. This would keep things cleaner for sure

Would be fine with me. Early-mid season. Potentially playing in back to back weeks would be a little much.

[Dual-Threat Rigby 8,628]

You know people talk about it, that it make us look silly, or bad, or something along that lines. But lets be real, 99.9% of people respected Texas aTm for saying you know what, screw Texas. Hell I'm a Texas fan and I respect the hell out of aTm for doing it.

The rivalry has gotten bad for the state in my honest opinion. You should never fear losing a sporting even because you will have to put up with constant harassment from someone. There really is too much hatred and animosity involving this game. It's ridiculous. I even told the Alabama athletic department that with their whole Dixieland Delight crap. The universities of this state have a obligation to do what is in the best interest of the people of the state of Alabama. Campuses have been vandalized, people attacked, and killed cause of this stupid football game.

Truthfully that was one of the nice things about Chicago and where I lived. Ton of Michigan, Northwestern, Iowa, and Notre Dame alumni. Lol, they actually felt bad for us having to deal with Alabama, not the on the field stuff, but the off the field BS. Alabama and it's fanbase are a embarrassment to this state in other states. Was actually quite a few Vandy grads also, and I worked out with a guy that was David Langers roommate also haha. We would stare at Jenny McCarthy's parts together (even though she wore a black wig, and signed in under a different name).

I agree that it would be us separating from Alabama for our benefit. Course as Cool pointed out, the conference, the networks, and all that jazz would probably never let us break free of them.

This post mirrors my feelings on the rivalry as well. Its nice to have a biggest rival and all, but there's no reason to have all this violence over football, leave that on the field.