You, Me, and the MEGA-SEC

How does the expanded MEGA-SEC affect the fine University of Georgia?

As I have heard it said, you can’t really call yourself a conference if you don’t play at least 3 teams from the other division each year.

So now SEC teams would only get 2 out of conference games each year. I would guess UGA would want to maintain the rivalry with Georgia Tech, so UGA only gets one patsy each year.

Let’s look at it as if it was in place for the 2010 season for UGA.

U of L-L

@South Carolina

Arkansas

@Mississippi State

Clemson

Tennessee

Vanderbilt

@Kentucky

Florida (Jacksonville)

@ Florida State

@ Auburn

Georgia Tech

UGA’s Western Division Rotation COULD be:

Arkansas

Mississippi State

Texas

Ole Miss

Alabama

Texas A&M

LSU

That right there is a scary schedule. I am making the call to open with a patsy rather than playing one for Homecoming. Let’s just make Vandy homecoming. We would want Clemson at home during the same year as when we are at South Carolina. This schedule may be worse than 2009 or 2008.

Yikes! Do we want the SEC to become THAT competitive?

The west rotation is hopeful AT best on my part, it would separate Alabama, Texas, and LSU. So that we would NOT have to play two of those teams in any one year. UGA will not be that lucky. We probably will have two of them in a one year schedule every 6 years.

A few other observations:

Either UGA or South Carolina gets the shaft

In this scenario with Clemson joining the SEC, UGA is most affected. This is because South Carolina would get to take its OOC rivalry and make it a conference rivalry. If it was GT to join, then South Carolina would be most affected. The one that gets their in-state OOC rival to join the SEC gets to schedule two patsies. The other would get in-state pressure to maintain its OOC rival while only getting one patsy on the schedule.

Jacksonville fans better cheer or pull for Georgia Tech to join the SEC. This is where CBS may get in the negotiations. If CBS wants to continue to televise in Jacksonville, then they would push for GT, I think.

Would this scenario of expansion talk kill Jacksonville? Most definitely. IF UGA wanted to maintain a rivalry with GT. UGA would have 12 games a year. This is because of the following breakdown:

Even Years:

3 SEC east home games

3 SEC west home games

1 Jacksonville

2 SEC west home games

1 SEC west away game

1 OOC patsy

1 Georgia Tech

12 games (6 home)

Odd Years:

3 SEC east home games

3 SEC west home games

1 Jacksonville

2 SEC west away games

1 SEC west home game

1 OOC patsy

1 Georgia Tech away

12 games (5 home)

We all know we will WANT/NEED 6 home games a year. The only way to maintain Jacksonville would be to have Georgia Tech to join the SEC. South Carolina would not have the 6 home game problem IF Clemson were to join the SEC because of their home and home series, but it would only allow SC to have 1 patsy scheduled.

I am a proponent of making the UF game a home and home series AND I would rather have Clemson in the SEC than Georgia Tech. I know that hurts us with only one patsy on the schedule, but I think Clemson is more of a SEC school.

UF would not have the same issue because Florida State would join the SEC. Now they would have our exact same issue IF it was Clemson and Georgia Tech to join the SEC.

With Michael Adams, our current UF loosing trend, and the elimination of the WLOCP moniker, does Jacksonville still mean all that much? Eliminating this game has been is the discussion for a while any way.