Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images
By Chris Marler
Day one of SEC Media Days in Atlanta featured LSU, Ole Miss, South Carolina, and Vanderbilt, kicking off the week with plenty of headlines both on and off the podium.
Hugh Freeze golf game, Diego Pavia not knowing who Josh Pate is, and Greg Sankey not so humbly bragging about his 41 marathons he’s run.
There was also some discussion around frustrations with the new revenue-sharing model and whether teams are being transparent about how they’re using it. But with the policy just two weeks old, that conversation is still in its early stages, giving way to broader concerns facing the league and the sport overall.
The two mentioned most were CFB Playoff expansion, and the leader in the clubhouse, SEC scheduling and the debate over eight versus nine conference games.
The answers didn’t necessarily differ from coach to coach or Greg Sankey when discussing it. However, every person at the podium seemed to have a very passionate opinion on the subject.
My opinion is that this will all end in the SEC playing nine games, and that decision will be made in a barter that ensures four teams will make the playoff. That still hasn’t come to fruition. And, for the first time this entire offseason it feels like the reason why isn’t just a power struggle between conferences.
Greg Sankey was asked how often he stays in communication with B1G commissioner Tony Pitetti about finding a resolution. Sankey’s answer was that he spoke to him four out of five days last week alone. The compromise seems likely, but it also seems like Sankey knows what most others around the country, in other P4 conferences, and the national media, don’t.
He’s holding much better cards than anyone realized.
“We don’t need unanimity. Ultimately, it’s not you just show up and pound your fist and something happens. I hope that that type of narrative can be reduced.”
Last season all 16 members of the Southeastern Conference played at least nine games against what you would label “power opponents.” I don’t believe there’s anyone looking to swap their conference schedule and its opponents with the opponents played by SEC Conference teams in our conference schedule, be it eight or nine.
As I’ve said repeatedly, understanding how the CFP will evaluate strength of schedule and even strength of record is critically important in our decision-making.”
Translation? We aren’t scheduling a nine game conference schedule until there’s a clear understanding of whether or not the CFP committee will value a resumé of difficult opponents or immediately set their gaze to the number in the loss column for everyone.
Several coaches echoed Sankey’s sentiment including Lane Kiffin and Brian Kelly. And maybe most impressively, they each accompanied that opinion with a suggestion of playing a schedule that’s universal and parallel with other P4 conferences in regards to a set number of Power 4 opponents, regardless of how many conference games.
The entire conversation was mostly just a rerun of an argument that doesn’t seem to have a solution just yet. But, it does seem like each side aren’t nearly as far apart as we once thought.
That said, if I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a thousand times: this isn’t about wanting the SEC to play nine games, it’s about wanting the SEC to lose more often. It’s about leveling the playing field, keeping them from dominating the postseason, and slowing their march to more trophies. Everyone outside the SEC just wants to get out from under its heel.
Until then fans, media, and Danny Kannell will continue to gaslight the rest of college football into thinking they aren’t already getting their way.
Up next on Tuesday: Auburn, Georgia, Tennessee, and Texas take center stage, promising even more storylines as the biggest brands in the league step to the mic.
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