You can dance around the issue all you want but LSU's East opponents this year were a combined 14-2 in conference play last year. Alabama's East opponents were a combined 1-15 in conference play. Last year was pretty much the same.
Wow, 15 pages now of pointless arguments. Let's cut to the chase. It ain't about the relative strength of Bama's schedule vs LSU's. Its about equal opportunity. The SEC, in setting the schedules, owes it to its member schools to provide a schedule that affords every school an equal opportunity to win the championship. Obviously, if looked at from year-to-year, that's impossible, unless you have every school play every other school in the conference every year. So the next best thing is to set it up so that over the course of several years, the opportunities equal out. Each school plays every other school in its division every year. Then, to make it equal, each school plays a certain number of schools in the other division on a rotating basis. No so-called "traditional rivals." At the end of the cycle (which might take 10-12 years), every team will have played every team in the other division the same number of times. That fits the dictionary definition of "fair."
The real issue is this. Schedules are being engineered by the Alabama fans on the SEC staff in Birmingham to benefit Alabama. It's glaringly obvious. Of course, next year the footballscape is going to change and quality of wins is going to count. If the schedule for 2014 is not already fixed, look for Alabama to suddenly have Florida on the schedule (in Tuscaloosa of course). Look for us to get to play Missouri. Alleva and Miles need to drop it. We want to keep Florida.
The wild card is the selection committee. If it ends up being anything like it is in baseball, the selection criteria could be completely arbitrary and change considerably from one year to the next. SOS could mean everything one year and conference championships meaningless, and be exactly the opposite the following year. I'll believe a committee leaves Bama out of the field of 4 for a cupcake schedule when I see it.
Let's take what you say here and break it down step by step. 1)Alabama fans in the SEC office set the schedule to benefit Alabama. 2)The schedule is given to all 14 school Presidents for review and approval. 3)They see that these fans that are employees are setting the schedule to benefit Alabama, which in turn is a disadvantage for their schools, but agree to these schedules. Do you see the absurdity here? The schedule hasn't been finished as of yet, but it looks to be Georgia.
You bring up a very good point here. One thing I'd like to see is a set formula for how strength of schedule is determined. If you look at the computers and how they've determined SOS, all of them have varied. Should it be based on winning percentages of opponents? An average of the RPI for all the teams played?
Read it and weep, chief. http://cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/rankings/all_time_team_rankings.php LSU #9, Tennessee #10 Try this one on for size, too. http://cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/rankings/2001-2010_decade_team_rankings.php Florida #2, LSU #3, Bama #11, Tennessee #14
Hang on just a minute here amigo. Doesn't this say what Tennessee has accomplished in this century? It's also interesting to note that it has a ranking of schedule points...
How on earth is it my opinion when that's the way schedules are handled with the SEC? They are approved by each and every school President. It's done in the same fashion with rules changes, etc. Legitimate link? Slive said this last weekâthe 2014 schedule would be completed next week. They had hopes it might be finished this past week. You're "legitimate link" will be available for you to click on soon. You'll just have to take my word. If you want something now, try google. As to Georgia? I said it looks to be UGA. I'm not 100% on that, but in the spirit of quantifying a statement I'll say I'm 75% sure it's going to be the Dawgs. I say that based on what I'm hearing from within the Athletic Department.
Yes, I mean Tennessee failing to win an SEC championship since the 20th century. And lost three times! Stick to what is relevant. How many times has Florida made it? Four and winning three. Tennessee has a 0% championship record in the 21st Century. Florida has a 75% championship game winning record There is no argument to be made in this century. LSU = 133-37 = .782 pct. Florida = 126-43 = .741 pct. Bama = 93-53 = .637 pct. Tennessee = 99-65 = .603 pct. What is luck about that? Florida stopped the play illegally with 13 men on the field. With the regulation 11 men they simply failed to stop LSU. Damned little, Terry. There ain't much you can do to pump them up into a contender.
