I'm not sure we could get a perfect balance. Adding OU and aTm to the SECw then adding VT and FSU/UM/or GT to the SECe will most definately not give you balance. I think there might be some serious shuffling around if we add 4 teams. For now, though, what if we only see a 2 team increase. Lets say we add OU and aTm, I think the only way to add some sort of balance is those 2 get added to W and shuffle Auburn to the E. That would give the most balance IMHO. SECw LSU OU Bama aTm Ark Ole Miss Miss St SECe UF UGA Auburn UT USCe UK Vandy Not totally balanced, but I would be ok with this.
You've been around a long time Red. Don't you know these things are cyclical? Look at 99. Tennessee and Florida were the cream of the SEC. The West was horrible back then. Just a few years ago, the West was LSU/Auburn in rotation. Now Alabama looks unbeatable. If Oklahoma joined the West, I think things would eventually balance anyway. Perhaps Oklahoma slides some when they join the SEC?
Clemson should not be allowed anywhere near the SEC unless they change their mascot, their fight song, and the name of their stadium... ...I'm serious.
This exactly right. You can't look at this as a snapshot in time. You have to look at a schools overall fan-base, tradition and marketability. If a school has a good football tradition and a strong following that means TV revenue, gameday attendance, and merchandise sales. Those things translate into $$$ to build facilities and hire top coaches. When you have all that you will eventually be on top. I think Va Tech and OU are a pretty even match in that regard.
Well, that's why I cited the All-time rankings, which is a better indicator of a programs success over the last 100 years. Let's say that Oklahoma is added to the west and FSU to the East. Those program rankings would be: SEC WEST Oklahoma - top 5 Alabama - top 5 LSU - top 10 Auburn - top 25 Arkansas - top 25 Ole Miss (just misses at #26) State SEC EAST Tennessee - top 10 Florida - top-25 Georgia - top 25 Florida State - top-25 South Carolina Kentucky Vanderbilt But if they reorganize they could balance it better: SEC WEST Oklahoma - top 5 LSU - top 10 Auburn - top 25 Arkansas - top 25 Ole Miss (just misses at #26) State Vanderbilt SEC EAST Alabama - top 5 Tennessee - top 10 Florida - top-25 Georgia - top 25 Florida State - top-25 South Carolina Kentucky
Tradition is nice and all, but what happened 30 years ago is irrelevant to what will play out over time in the future. Florida State and Florida are not Top 10 according to that list. But I defy you to tell me that they are not to be considered elite programs? It's just that they've only been elite for the past 20 years. Their prestige may not be as good as that of Alabama and Oklahoma because of longevity, but that is no indication on how competitive of a program they'll be in the future.
here you go: SEC West: Arkansas LSU Ole Miss Mississippi State Oklahoma Texas Texas a&m Texas Tech SEC East: Alabama Auburn Florida Georgia Kentucky South Carolina Tennessee Vanderbilt brutal, ditch Florida as the every year East opponent and pick up Alabama.
