(TL/DR)
And it’s all a direct result of the 12-team playoff keeping 6-7 SEC teams hopeful late November. It’s also a direct result of NIL and the portal “diluting” quality depth on formerly dominant teams like UGA, bammer, and Texas.
Why? Because NIL warchests get deployed to steal 2nd and 3rd string quality players. And Bama and UGA can’t pay enough NIL to retain the depth athletes because what they’re BUYING is PLAYING TIME.
As the great Lou Holtz said, in November, you’re either trying to WIN something, or RUIN something (an archrival’s dreams).
So here we are, and I will 100% take this new football model over our archrivals being allowed to have a $2 million higher salary cap every year and whip our a$$ 8 of 10 seasons. AU can recruit and damn sure has no excuse not to coach at a high level to make the playoff maybe 3 of any 5 years.
Check the Nov 23 and 30 games and how RELEVANT SEC football still is. I think I’d rather have only 2 losses and NOT play in the SEC title game if I’m Bama, Ole Miss or aTm. Texas may need the game to become an automatic bid with its weak schedule strength.
UGA is done with its conference games, and can’t be worse than 6-2, coming off an impressive win over Tenn as well as the road Texas win to offset the bad Ole Miss loss. But the Yellow Jackets could “wreck” the Dawgs’ playoff hopes barring an SEC championship game win.
Nov 23
aTm has to play in J-H - at NIGHT. The 1-loss Aggies can ill afford a “bad loss” to Auburn with the Nov 30 home game v Texas up next. Can Auburn ride its rabid home crowd to make it a 4-quarter game? We won’t have to wait long to find out. My take is AU will compete well, on the strength of our stout defense, and leaning heavy on the ground game to set up timely play action to a WR corps that is arriving in Cam, KLS, Simmons, and Rivaldo. Hard to call it a looking ahead (to Texas) game for the Aggies, but that’s a slight X factor as poor as AU has been.
Bama goes TO Norman, Oklahoma, with the Sooners having had an open date to get well and put a plan in. Can Venables deliver a defensive gem? Doubtful, but a treacherous year for SEC teams when they go on the road. The thin margin of winning makes home field quadruply valuable.
Texas hosts Kentucky. Should be a blowout. Should. Texas has a horrific strength of schedule and needs a blowout W.
Hot 2-loss Ole Miss has to go TO Gainesville, and I like the surging Gators to shock Hotty Toddy. Stunning that Billy Napier has survived. Coming off the open date hearing how they’re the best team in the SEC, can Lane Kiffin deliver a performance that helps Ole Miss transcend the weight of their mediocre program DNA, with a gimme Egg Bowl to follow?
Vandy goes TO LSU and no one cares, which is why I like the Fighting Diego’s in this game. Brian Kelly is a fraud for now, and an EXPENSIVE one at that, leaving LSU in buyout purgatory.
Nov 30 - what a HUGE weekend for any 1 or 2-loss SEC contenders.
Iron Bowl brings the pressure of being a a MUST WIN for first year coach Kalen DeBoer (unless they lose to Oklahoma) in his first ever Iron Bowl. AU will make it a game if we can run the ball, and avoid costly giveaways, which we’ve been doing for 5 games. Likely a 2:30 kick with aTm v Texas the prime night game.
Texas AT aTm. Like the Horns a little, but this will be a very emotional game and tough environment for Texas. Loser leaves town for playoff?
Tenn AT Vandy !! Huge game for the VOLS
Friday, Nov 29th, 2:30 pm Black Friday - Egg Bowl. Miss State AT Ole Mrs !!! Must win for OM.
South Carolina AT Clemson.
Georgia Tech AT Georgia - dangerous game for the Dawgs. A loss would knock them out, unless they then win the SEC Championship game.
And it’s all a direct result of the 12-team playoff keeping 6-7 SEC teams hopeful late November. It’s also a direct result of NIL and the portal “diluting” quality depth on formerly dominant teams like UGA, bammer, and Texas.
Why? Because NIL warchests get deployed to steal 2nd and 3rd string quality players. And Bama and UGA can’t pay enough NIL to retain the depth athletes because what they’re BUYING is PLAYING TIME.
As the great Lou Holtz said, in November, you’re either trying to WIN something, or RUIN something (an archrival’s dreams).
So here we are, and I will 100% take this new football model over our archrivals being allowed to have a $2 million higher salary cap every year and whip our a$$ 8 of 10 seasons. AU can recruit and damn sure has no excuse not to coach at a high level to make the playoff maybe 3 of any 5 years.
Check the Nov 23 and 30 games and how RELEVANT SEC football still is. I think I’d rather have only 2 losses and NOT play in the SEC title game if I’m Bama, Ole Miss or aTm. Texas may need the game to become an automatic bid with its weak schedule strength.
UGA is done with its conference games, and can’t be worse than 6-2, coming off an impressive win over Tenn as well as the road Texas win to offset the bad Ole Miss loss. But the Yellow Jackets could “wreck” the Dawgs’ playoff hopes barring an SEC championship game win.
Nov 23
aTm has to play in J-H - at NIGHT. The 1-loss Aggies can ill afford a “bad loss” to Auburn with the Nov 30 home game v Texas up next. Can Auburn ride its rabid home crowd to make it a 4-quarter game? We won’t have to wait long to find out. My take is AU will compete well, on the strength of our stout defense, and leaning heavy on the ground game to set up timely play action to a WR corps that is arriving in Cam, KLS, Simmons, and Rivaldo. Hard to call it a looking ahead (to Texas) game for the Aggies, but that’s a slight X factor as poor as AU has been.
Bama goes TO Norman, Oklahoma, with the Sooners having had an open date to get well and put a plan in. Can Venables deliver a defensive gem? Doubtful, but a treacherous year for SEC teams when they go on the road. The thin margin of winning makes home field quadruply valuable.
Texas hosts Kentucky. Should be a blowout. Should. Texas has a horrific strength of schedule and needs a blowout W.
Hot 2-loss Ole Miss has to go TO Gainesville, and I like the surging Gators to shock Hotty Toddy. Stunning that Billy Napier has survived. Coming off the open date hearing how they’re the best team in the SEC, can Lane Kiffin deliver a performance that helps Ole Miss transcend the weight of their mediocre program DNA, with a gimme Egg Bowl to follow?
Vandy goes TO LSU and no one cares, which is why I like the Fighting Diego’s in this game. Brian Kelly is a fraud for now, and an EXPENSIVE one at that, leaving LSU in buyout purgatory.
Nov 30 - what a HUGE weekend for any 1 or 2-loss SEC contenders.
Iron Bowl brings the pressure of being a a MUST WIN for first year coach Kalen DeBoer (unless they lose to Oklahoma) in his first ever Iron Bowl. AU will make it a game if we can run the ball, and avoid costly giveaways, which we’ve been doing for 5 games. Likely a 2:30 kick with aTm v Texas the prime night game.
Texas AT aTm. Like the Horns a little, but this will be a very emotional game and tough environment for Texas. Loser leaves town for playoff?
Tenn AT Vandy !! Huge game for the VOLS
Friday, Nov 29th, 2:30 pm Black Friday - Egg Bowl. Miss State AT Ole Mrs !!! Must win for OM.
South Carolina AT Clemson.
Georgia Tech AT Georgia - dangerous game for the Dawgs. A loss would knock them out, unless they then win the SEC Championship game.
