Is Kirby Smart right about 9-game SEC schedules?

[Jaxcat]

After the SECC game, he basically said the 9-game SEC schedule will hurt the league re: CFP spots. To his point, add another league game and some of the teams in the CFP this year might have an additional loss, costing the conference big dollars and prestige due to missing out on the CFP. Does a 3-loss OU get in over 2-loss ND even if OU lost to 3 teams in the CFP? If A&M lost to LSU in the 9th SEC game, for example, do they lose their spot to maybe a 2-loss ACC or B12 team? And, with 9 games in conference, why in the world would you still hold the SECC game? So one of your top teams can take a loss or lose a key player or two to injury? It's already extremely difficult to go unbeaten in the SEC. With an additional league game, I believe you can make the argument that it may be very difficult to only lose 1 game. If the SEC has 5 teams in the top 12, but 3 of them have 3 losses, at least one will miss out on CFP consideration regardless of who they lost to, especially when you HAVE to include a G5 team who, undoubtedly, played a much easier schedule.

Kirby is a Smart man (pun intended).

[Davidmack]

Kirby is exactly right. Adding a ninth game is just greedy.

[blueheretic]

I agree with Kirby.
9 SEC games is grueling.

The SEC is chopping of their own toes to get enough money to buy new shoes.

[The-Hack]

My understanding of our 9th game is that we folded to pressure from the Big Ten.

My answer to the Big Ten’s gripe would have been this: we will play only eight intra-conference games, but if you, Big Ten, will reduce your intra-conference games to eight, we (the SEC) will agree that all of our members will schedule one of their games against a Big Ten opponent, each year.

That would have shut them up pretty quick: Ohio State and Michigan would not have relished the though of adding a Bama, a Georgia, a Texas, an A@M, etc., etc., anymore than Kirby relishes the thought of it.

Ohio State hosted Texas in 2025, and I hope they return the favor in Austin. And that opening week 14-7 road loss probably cost the Longhorns a Play Off spot.

Hell, line them up, beginning Thursday Night, through Sunday Night one weekend in early November, in two big stadiums, Lucas and Atlanta, and go wall-to-wall SEC vs. Big Ten for four days/nights.

Our 16 vs. your 16!!!

[Uncle Dave]

My understanding of our 9th game is that we folded to pressure from the Big Ten.

My answer to the Big Ten’s gripe would have been this: we will play only eight intra-conference games, but if you, Big Ten, will reduce your intra-conference games to eight, we (the SEC) will agree that all of our members will schedule one of their games against a Big Ten opponent, each year.

That would have shut them up pretty quick: Ohio State and Michigan would not have relished the though of adding a Bama, a Georgia, a Texas, an A@M, etc., etc., anymore than Kirby relishes the thought of it.

Ohio State hosted Texas in 2025, and I hope they return the favor in Austin. And that opening week 14-7 road loss probably cost the Longhorns a Play Off spot.

Hell, line them up, beginning Thursday Night, through Sunday Night one weekend in early November, in two big stadiums, Lucas and Atlanta, and go wall-to-wall SEC vs. Big Ten for four days/nights.

Our 16 vs. your 16!!!

Run a two for one beer special!!!

[Pobilly]

Kirby is exactly right. Adding a ninth game is just greedy.

I think the big 10 does a 9 game schedule. They still have like 3 of the higher teams in the playoffs. There 9 game schedule helped Alabama in the loss somehow. SEC Championship game needs to go away. It should be 9 game SEC regular season schedule, 1 other Power 4 game (UK is louisville right now) and 2 less games. The best of the best should rise to the top. Middling to lower teams will weed themselves out (like us).

[Catsrock]

My understanding of our 9th game is that we folded to pressure from the Big Ten.

My answer to the Big Ten’s gripe would have been this: we will play only eight intra-conference games, but if you, Big Ten, will reduce your intra-conference games to eight, we (the SEC) will agree that all of our members will schedule one of their games against a Big Ten opponent, each year.

That would have shut them up pretty quick: Ohio State and Michigan would not have relished the though of adding a Bama, a Georgia, a Texas, an A@M, etc., etc., anymore than Kirby relishes the thought of it.

Ohio State hosted Texas in 2025, and I hope they return the favor in Austin. And that opening week 14-7 road loss probably cost the Longhorns a Play Off spot.

Hell, line them up, beginning Thursday Night, through Sunday Night one weekend in early November, in two big stadiums, Lucas and Atlanta, and go wall-to-wall SEC vs. Big Ten for four days/nights.

Our 16 vs. your 16!!!

I like it. I’m with you. But they do have 18. Which is too many. It’s not ideal to play half your conference in a season. How can you even crown a champion in a sport where you play half? Not to mention how do you call it the Big 10?

[Sam K.]

Kirby may very well be correct. However I would prefer another SEC game as opposed to playing TN Tech or E. Michigan.