I know the future scheduling format is undetermined, but if we do move to a 9-game schedule and they use the 10-year records to determine permanent opponents the way they did to determine this year’s schedule, we stand a very good chance of losing the Auburn game.
This year, they compiled conference records from the last 10 years and gave every team 4 games against teams in the top half of winning percentage and 4 games against teams in the bottom half.
If they do that for permanent opponents, Auburn is only barely in the top half, just above Ole Miss. If Ole Miss finishes two games better than Auburn in 24, that would be enough to flip Ole Miss into the top half and Auburn into the bottom.
The rumor has been that each top half team would have two permanent opponents from the top half plus one from the bottom. For us currently, that’s Auburn and Florida.
However, if Auburn drops to the bottom half, Alabama would then take Auburn’s permanent rival spot and we’d have to pick up a different top half team as a permanent opponent.
Again, all speculative, but the short version is that Auburn may suck too much to play us annually.
This year, they compiled conference records from the last 10 years and gave every team 4 games against teams in the top half of winning percentage and 4 games against teams in the bottom half.
If they do that for permanent opponents, Auburn is only barely in the top half, just above Ole Miss. If Ole Miss finishes two games better than Auburn in 24, that would be enough to flip Ole Miss into the top half and Auburn into the bottom.
The rumor has been that each top half team would have two permanent opponents from the top half plus one from the bottom. For us currently, that’s Auburn and Florida.
However, if Auburn drops to the bottom half, Alabama would then take Auburn’s permanent rival spot and we’d have to pick up a different top half team as a permanent opponent.
Again, all speculative, but the short version is that Auburn may suck too much to play us annually.
