We've discussed this before, but there is a superbly equitable and balanced means of scheduling that also happens to preserve 99% of those 'rivalry' games.
They simply need to go with a pod system. Four 4-team pods, everybody plays the three teams in their pods every year (protecting the rivalry games) and then plays half of the other teams home-and-away followed by the other half of the other teams home-and-away. Every school plays every team at least twice every four years, once at home and once on the road. Every four year player gets to play in every stadium at least once in their career. The only 'drawback' is that we have to play 9 conference games, but you simply don't get more fair and balanced than this. It even minimizes travel for both the teams and the fans and maintains geographical integrity.
Pod #1:
Georgia
Florida
South Carolina
Kentucky
Pod #2:
Alabama
Auburn
Tennessee
Vanderbilt
Pod #3:
LSU
Texas A&M
Ole Miss
Mississippi State
Pod #4:
Texas
Oklahoma
Arkansas
Missouri
The only two 'rivalry' games that won't get played every year are Georgia-Auburn and LSU-Arkansas, but I don't think any of those teams are going to be that sad to see those games go away and they still play each other every other year.
As an aside, how hard did OU get screwed in the scheduling? It's like Texas only agreed to join if it could pick their and OU's schedule to start.
They simply need to go with a pod system. Four 4-team pods, everybody plays the three teams in their pods every year (protecting the rivalry games) and then plays half of the other teams home-and-away followed by the other half of the other teams home-and-away. Every school plays every team at least twice every four years, once at home and once on the road. Every four year player gets to play in every stadium at least once in their career. The only 'drawback' is that we have to play 9 conference games, but you simply don't get more fair and balanced than this. It even minimizes travel for both the teams and the fans and maintains geographical integrity.
Pod #1:
Georgia
Florida
South Carolina
Kentucky
Pod #2:
Alabama
Auburn
Tennessee
Vanderbilt
Pod #3:
LSU
Texas A&M
Ole Miss
Mississippi State
Pod #4:
Texas
Oklahoma
Arkansas
Missouri
The only two 'rivalry' games that won't get played every year are Georgia-Auburn and LSU-Arkansas, but I don't think any of those teams are going to be that sad to see those games go away and they still play each other every other year.
As an aside, how hard did OU get screwed in the scheduling? It's like Texas only agreed to join if it could pick their and OU's schedule to start.
