Auburn to the SEC East? It’s a cushy move – for the moment
Howdy there, folks. Welcome back to the neighborhood. (AJC photo by Johnny Crawford)
Provided Kenneth Starr and Baylor don’t get litigious again, Missouri is expected to become the SEC’s 14th member at any moment. And with Missouri and Texas A&M arriving as Nos. 14 and 13, somebody from the current SEC West will have to move to the East for the sake of balance. Most folks expect the mover to be Auburn — although Alabama, being its selfish self, is making noises about preferring that its arch-enemy stay put — and how would Auburn feel about upping sticks?
Pretty darn good.
Auburn is based in the Central Time Zone by the grace of 25 miles. It’s almost as close to Atlanta’s southern suburbs as to the capital of Alabama. The Tigers’ greatest rival has always been the school in Tuscaloosa, duh, but for most of Auburn’s existence its next-biggest rivals were Georgia and Florida and Tennessee. (And don’t forget Georgia Tech, which is now out of reach in the ACC, which will require some realignment of its own. Auburn students would hold a Wreck Tech parade — I once covered it — before that annual game.)
Auburn-Georgia remains an annual fixture — it’s the Oldest Rivalry in the Deep South and, in my view, the best game of most every year — but Auburn-Tennessee and Auburn-Florida were lost to the realities of divisional scheduling. They’d return with Auburn’s move to the East, and the Tigers wouldn’t be displeased.
Back in September, both Auburn president Jay Gogue and AD Jay Jacobs said they’d have no problem with moving, and in saying “no problem” they sounded almost giddy. As Jacobs told Jon Solomon of the Birmingham News: “We have so many students come from Florida, Tennessee, Georgia, they come on campus and say, ‘Why aren’t we playing Florida, Tennessee, Kentucky, South Carolina?’ ”
What Gogue and Jacobs didn’t say was what seems rather blatant: As it stands, the SEC East would be easier to win than the West. (Arkansas, the third-best team in the six-team West, is ranked ninth in the BCS standings.) But here we need to say, “Whoa.”
When the SEC split into divisions, the East became Beverly Hills and remained so until Steve Spurrier left for the NFL and Tennessee began to wobble. Of the first 11 SEC championship games, the East won eight. Only after Nick Saban planted his flag at LSU did the West begin to rise, and only after Saban returned from his own NFL misfire to reconfigure Alabama did the West become the cutthroat division we see now.
Alabama and LSU are two of the three best teams in the country. Arkansas is nuzzling into the Top 10. Auburn won the 2010 BCS title. Mississippi State, which was either the fourth- or fifth-best team in the six-team division, was ranked No. 20 nationally in preseason. (That was before anybody realized the maroon Bulldogs couldn’t beat any of its Western brethren save Ole Miss.) The winner of the SEC West has won not just three of the past four SEC titles but three of the past four national championships. That said …
These things are, as things tend to be, cyclical. From 1994 through 2003, every SEC East winner — meaning Florida, Tennessee or Georgia — was ranked No. 6 or higher in the Associated Press poll entering the league championship game. Over that span, only two SEC West champs — Alabama in 1994 and LSU in 2003 — were ranked as high as No. 6.
But Florida is on its third coach since Spurrier and Tennessee on its second since Phillip Fulmer and South Carolina, which for a century stood as a case study in never-won-anything, took the SEC East last year with three conference losses. (And got beaten by 39 points by Auburn in the title game.) Georgia is scrambling to bleed out another division title to prove it’s still relevant. Add all that together, and … why wouldn’t the Tigers be thrilled at the prospects of relocation?
Just as Florida and Tennessee weren’t impervious to time and tide (pun intended), Alabama and LSU and Arkansas won’t be, either. What if Saban takes $10 million to go rescue Texas? What if Les Miles gets a similar offer from Ohio State? What if Derek Dooley loses to Vanderbilt and Tennessee looks to Bobby Petrino, ever-ready to relocate?
For all the homage we pay to college football’s traditions, the cold truth is that the sport’s greatest determinant is the head coach. Alabama won a national championship under Gene Stallings in the first season of SEC divisional play, but didn’t sniff another until Saban worked his dark magic. Florida ruled the SEC under Spurrier but became a punch line under Ron Zook; then it hired Urban Meyer, who won twice as many national titles as the Evil Genius.
So long as Saban and Miles and Petrino remain in the SEC West, any opponent would find the going softer anywhere else. But that’s the catch with coaches. Eventually they leave, and everything changes.
By Mark Bradley
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336 comments Add your comment
GeoffDawg
October 19th, 2011
1:30 pm
I’ve read somewhere previously that under the NCAA rule that allows a conference to host a championship game, the competing schools must be selected via a divisional round robin format. Just what I recall off the top of my head. Can’t name the specific reference source.
Vince Doodley
October 19th, 2011
1:31 pm
I’d like to see Auburn come east and the Iron bowl moved to some time mid season. I think it would take some of the heat out of that rivalry, which has become unhealthy.
GeoffDawg
October 19th, 2011
1:32 pm
Wow, I’m actually more surprised that the Seahawks agreed to pay Pete Carroll that kind of money.
no drama needed....,
October 19th, 2011
1:33 pm
moving AU over to the East makes the most sense….do it!
Bamzo
October 19th, 2011
1:33 pm
Vince,
I don’t think the AU-UGA rivalry is any healthier.
http://www.wtvm.com/Global/story.asp?S=13501268
Bama Fan
October 19th, 2011
1:34 pm
Nick’s worth every penny. Think I’ll send him a dollar in the mail, just as a tip for good service!
HAHAHAHAHAAHAHAH
October 19th, 2011
1:35 pm
UGA hasn’t been relevant since Reagan was in office.
When will UGA create their own logo and stop renting their G from the Green Bay Packers?
HAHAHAHAHAAHAHAH
October 19th, 2011
1:37 pm
“I’d like to see Auburn come east and the Iron bowl moved to some time mid season.”
That makes no sense.
JB
October 19th, 2011
1:37 pm
Richt is 11-10 in SEC play since the beginning of the 09 season up to last week, none beaten ranked.
01HAWK
October 19th, 2011
1:37 pm
MACK BROWN and TEXAS are on the DECLINE……………………He has lost a little bit lately.
Larry Brown and Phil Jackson are gone.
Chipper is a Redneck
October 19th, 2011
1:38 pm
UGA played Mississippi every season until the divisions were created, so that’s a ‘natural’ rival, or at least a historical one. But there could be many changes. If you play every in-division opponent, and keep 8 total SEC games, you will have only 2 non-division games to spread among 7 teams. If 1 of those is an annual ‘rival’, you will play the other 6 teams on average only once every six years, or twice every 12 years with the home/home setup. 12 years is a long time to go without playing a conference foe.
ARdawg
October 19th, 2011
1:40 pm
Geoffdawg
I believe that is an assumption rather than an NCAA rule. There is a NCAA criteria for determining a conference champion as in number of conference games played. How that is determined is left up to the conference. If there is such a “rule” I’d really like to see it. When any one conference approaches 16 teams, rules will be changed. Might be when one approaches 14 teams. A 7 team round robin divison becomes more and more restraining
The Ghost of Wally Butts
October 19th, 2011
1:40 pm
SEC will be 24 teams and 4 divisions….that’s my long-range prediction of reality in, say…about 20-25 years from now…
There will only be “super-conferences” left in Division I football, and the SEC will be among them
There will be SEC North, East, South and West divisions, 1st round byes, divisional playoffs, wildcards, etc. The ultimate championship game will be the biggest ticket around, and it won’t matter what the other conferences think about who the national champion should be.
Example: The SEC West will be Texas, Ok, Okie St, TCU, LSU and Arkansas….The East will be South Carolina, Clemson, Tenn, UGA, Ga Tech and UNC.
The teams will include Fla State, Ohio State, Va Tech….we’ll drop Vandy and Ky in favor of big boy football teams.
Just a vision of the future.
01HAWK
October 19th, 2011
1:40 pm
TISSUE ANYONE !!!!!!!
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Upon review of game tapes of the football game between the University of Georgia and Vanderbilt University, played in Nashville, Tenn. on Saturday, Oct. 15, 2011, Southeastern Conference Commissioner Mike Slive has announced that Vanderbilt sophomore center Logan Stewart, Georgia sophomore defensive lineman Kwame Geathers and Georgia junior defensive back Shawn Williams have been suspended for the first half of their team’s next football games.
JB
October 19th, 2011
1:41 pm
6 mil per year…………And still lost to the Russian in the Iron Bowl last year.
dap01
October 19th, 2011
1:42 pm
Auburn was great last year because of a hired qb. But their history don’t say that they would walk all over the east.
Bammer
October 19th, 2011
1:43 pm
Yeah but only 5 losses since the ULM debacle. On the other hand…3 million and lost to UCF. Who’s getting the better return on their investment?
Alphare
October 19th, 2011
1:44 pm
01HAWK,
is that true? a better job would give the source too.
JB
October 19th, 2011
1:44 pm
Let’s hope they suspend Bobo for the Florida game. Boy, Vegas would have to move the line.
BILLY MAYS HERE
October 19th, 2011
1:45 pm
Well if you’re going to poach two ACC teams get Clemson and FSU or Ga Tech.
JB
October 19th, 2011
1:48 pm
Bammer, with out a doubt, we are in almost total melt down in Athens. It won’t always be that way, as you guys can attest to difficult times.
Bammer
October 19th, 2011
1:49 pm
For sure.
bad moon
October 19th, 2011
1:49 pm
MAN!!! I can’t wait for that road trip to Columbia! Yawwwnnnn
BILLY MAYS HERE
October 19th, 2011
1:52 pm
Kansas fans, which are some of the most undeservedly self-righteous twerps, really have their panties in a bunch over Mizzou’s possible move. Sour grapes because they didn’t get invited to the prom??
Sharpshooter
October 19th, 2011
1:53 pm
Wally Butts are you mad? Have you taken your meds? Why would you wish for the cancer that is texas to come into the SEC. And if you meant Texas A&M………don’t ever make that mistake again.
BILLY MAYS HERE
October 19th, 2011
1:58 pm
Texas A&M fans are really dorky and horrible in their own right though, should’ve torpedoed the ACC for expansion teams. Best to just stay out of Texas altogether!
Dontavius Supremo
October 19th, 2011
2:00 pm
Good move for Auburn and all teams in the East. Welcome back, brother!
VININGSDAWG
October 19th, 2011
2:02 pm
FOr all of those that don;t think Auburn is that good or their history doesn’t show it….In the last 20 years what team has more undefeated seasons than any team in the country…Auburn with three. We have none. Auburn has a winning record over Bama since the Bear quit cheating and died.
So these fools that don;t think Auburn will be that good obviously don;t follow football. Chizik is a good coach with the best staff in the country. Auburn to the East would be great and return great rivalries of the past. In exchange UGA will probably get Texas AM as our new permanent from the West.
BILLY MAYS HERE
October 19th, 2011
2:03 pm
Why hasn’t the SEC sent Vandy back down to the minor leagues (the ACC) yet? That’s the real travesty here.
Sharpshooter
October 19th, 2011
2:10 pm
BILLY MAYS HERE
October 19th, 2011
1:58 pm
Billy seems to me you are saying A&M is going to fit right into the SEC
BILLY MAYS HERE
October 19th, 2011
2:12 pm
Great post Sharpshooter, did you write that one yourself
Wet Willie...keep on smiling
October 19th, 2011
2:15 pm
AU wants the east because that side sucks and for no other reason regardless to how they spin it!!!! 10rc is years away at best,Vandy and KY are a joke ,USCe is going down because the ole ball coach is done,UF is a unknown at this point with Coach Boom but it doesn’t look so good today, UGA is always the best team in America from March until August and Richt needs to be fired. If I am the AU folks then you bet your sweet arze you can relocate me to the sissy side and I will be glad to get away from Petrino,Miles, and Saban! Texas A&M would win the east this year without any problem and they’re going to the West as well. Auburn and DaTrupa and DaLupa has been buying your players for 3 years and now they want to come play in your little girl league. Pricelss.
Sharpshooter
October 19th, 2011
2:16 pm
I apologize for referencing your post rather than pasting your quote Biily Boy. I should have known you would have trouble finding it.
Clyde Bolton
October 19th, 2011
2:19 pm
“Make the Iron Bowl the third Saturday in October. Alabama would forget Tennessee ever existed.”
Mark, are you serious?
Mighty whale !
October 19th, 2011
2:20 pm
@ Vinings
Yeah Auburn is good . It comes down to the ridiculousness of having Missouri in the east . The whole state of Missouri is west of the Mississippi . Its geographically silly . Its just not proper shoolin and these are schools .
S GA AU FAN
October 19th, 2011
2:21 pm
For Vandy to be as bad as dawg fans claim, they sure played the “dream team” close!
Buckhead Dawg
October 19th, 2011
2:36 pm
Has anyone seen my pickle? I seem to have lost it around here somewhere. Oh well guess I’ll get another one.
Musashi
October 19th, 2011
2:39 pm
LSU suspends Ware and Mathieu… how dumb can you be?
http://www.lsureveille.com/source-mathieu-ware-suspended-for-auburn-game-1.2655296#.Tp8WeDoMVUZ.twitter
St Simons - we're on Island time
October 19th, 2011
2:46 pm
Hey SEC! I think I saw Bobo cursing at someone at the game.
Cmon help a dog out….
Auburn’s ready to make another bidness move, now that they’ve
freed up all of Scam’s cap room.
MUTIGER94
October 19th, 2011
2:49 pm
Someone above needs some geography lessons. Mizzou is no closer to all of the potential East SEC schools than it is the potential West SEC schools. The closest to Columbia, MO are in order: ARK, VAN, KY, UM, MSU & UT. 3 east and 3 west. Maybe alignment should be a North division and a South…ARK, VAN, KY, UM, TN, MSU & MIZZOU. This could keep AUB and BAMA together; however, there are still many that are sensitive to having a “North” division. Maybe come up with some stupid division names like the Big Ten…I’m personally hoping they’ll be added to the west so that I can see more road games – Andy in Memphis.
concern
October 19th, 2011
2:50 pm
SEC West has their low dwelling teams and about to add two more. Maybe to the point can win but not play for championship. Ala schedule not that tough. One big game does not equate to tough season. Look at who they play light out of conference and the bottom teams in the East. If going to play in big game need at least one out of conference team that finishes in top 10 for sure top 15. Is that asking for much.
ADMan
October 19th, 2011
2:50 pm
Bradley…you are a complete dumbass the way you reported the Vandy incident…biased and one sided.Your credability as a sports writer has been tarnished and I’m not sure you’ll ever be able to make amends with the Bulldawg Nation. Might as well start looking for another rag to write for because you’ve just lost at least 35-45% of you readership. When you don’t report both sides of the incidents and distort the facts your credablity as an SEC sports writer is shot…Have fun covering GSU and Morehouse.
Gordon
October 19th, 2011
2:50 pm
I think the interesting question is how many conference games will be played? If you stay at 8, you will only play teams from the other division who are not your permanent opponent once every 6 years, which means once every 12 years at your place. If you play 9 conference games, those numbers are cut in half. But if you go to 9 games, that leaves for some teams (UGA, USC, UF) only 2 “free games” each year since they have permanent out-of-conference opponents. I would imagine both those games every year would be cupcakes. Teams would never play different top-flite talent from another conference except in a bowl.
SEC fan
October 19th, 2011
2:51 pm
MUTIGER94, great idea!
How about the “Jorts” and “Skoal” divisions?
george
October 19th, 2011
2:54 pm
SEC EAST=ACC
Ohio State-Michigan rematch hype in 2006 taught us a long-lasting lesson – SI.com | Sports
October 19th, 2011
2:57 pm
[...] Atlanta Journal Constitution [...]
NorthStarsDave
October 19th, 2011
2:58 pm
Um….Clyde Bolton…..Georgia did NOT play Tennessee every year until the divisional format was implemented….now it is a big game!
Do you really think that Alabama would miss Tennessee…and Tennessee miss Alabama?
Does Georgia miss Clemson? Does Tennessee miss Ole Miss? Come on….
The Alabama-Tennessee game used to be important in the old days….before divisional play….not anymore….LSU and AUB are the big games on the schedule…with Arkansas getting there…
It IS because of divisional play that make the rivalries great in the SEC….
Lou Holtz "AKA The Spitting Cobra"
October 19th, 2011
3:02 pm
Every team in SEC West wants to be in the East because they have a built in advantage over Florida and Georgia since the entire SEC West oversigns and Florida and Georgia don’t.
Nativebird
October 19th, 2011
3:04 pm
ah…the pendulum swings for now my friendly Tigers. Just remember that painful yet oh so easy to forget SEC rule of nature while you’re on top.
Kelly
October 19th, 2011
3:04 pm
It’s easier now…but these things are cyclical. Hasn’t been that long since the East was better than the West. It will eventually tip back that way, and then after that, back to the way it is now. Really doesn’t matter when viewed from that perspective.