SEC football teams look scared to compete against each other with 8-game schedule

I never knew that the S and C in SEC stood for Scared Competition.

With powerhouses Texas and Oklahoma coming into the SEC next year, the annual coaches’ meeting in Destin was a chance to revise things such as the schedule and divisions for the season following this upcoming one. There were some small changes made, but otherwise, it was kind of slow. Except for this.

This is not good.

The SEC has been playing an eight-game schedule against each other for a while now, and they’re going to keep doing that in the short term despite adding two more teams. The SEC looks scared to compete. Not with other teams outside the SEC, no (although you could also make that argument). They’re scared to compete AGAINST EACH OTHER. The SEC is doing this thing where they’ve become too big to fail. They don’t necessarily have to add another conference game to their schedule, because they know they’ll get at least two teams into the College Football Playoff, especially as it expands to 12.

However, with another added conference game, the SEC will be able to play more meaningful games later on in the season, rather than Alabama taking out their frustrations on poor old Charleston Southern a week before the Iron Bowl. As the playoff expands to 12, quality of competition could possibly matter more in the longer term than true win-loss records, because the playoff will have six other at-large teams, teams who didn’t win their conference but were still highly ranked. The SEC can get a leg up on other conferences by adding another game, but instead will just rely on “Big Bad SEC” to get multiple teams into their playoff.

When asked about the viability of adding another conference game, Kentucky president Eli Capilouto said this (via Ross Dellenger of Sports Illustrated): “It is very fair to say that it is not just about the money. As we focus more on student-athlete well-being, one has to understand the implications of this in light of new (CFP) formats and length of the season. What does it all mean in a bigger context is what we should consider. What does it mean for bowl participation and length of season? All those things come first.”

Ah yes, NOW the student-athlete is on the minds of presidents. Not before expanding the playoff to 12 teams, making the athletes play more without seeing any of the revenue from said games. Now we’re crossing the line. Good job, Prez! Way to go!

The SEC playing another conference game would make them more money. People, and big media conglomerates like ESPN, like seeing SEC teams play against each other. Not counting the championship games, three of the top ten most watched games of the season last year were between SEC teams. ESPN is going to want to air those games more than an SEC team playing a lower division school in the middle of September, so it would help the SEC overall to play these games against each other in the long run, because everyone’s pockets will continue to get fatter.

But no, continue to ensure a spot in the Gasparilla Bowl at 6-6, because that’s what the SEC is meant to do.