SEC approves 6-1-1 scheduling and LSU still has to keep playing Florida
Looks like LSU's protests to do away with its cross-divisional game against Florida fell on deaf ears.
The SEC announced Friday that it approved the 6-1-1 playoff format, which means each SEC team will play six divisional games, one cross-divisional game and one rotating cross-divisional game. In simple terms, it means that Les Miles' Tigers will continue to face the Gators for the foreseeable future.
And much to the chagrin of LSU, Alabama will continue to play Tennessee while Arkansas will get newcomer Missouri. Other permanent rivalry games will include South Carolina-Texas A&M, Auburn-Georgia, Kentucky-Mississippi State and Ole Miss-Vanderbilt.
While the length of the 6-1-1 scheduling format has yet to be determined, commissioner Mike Slive said it will be around at least three or four years, which opens a future door for a nine-game conference schedule.
Unfortunately, Auburn president Jay Gogue said the nonconference rivalry games for South Carolina, Florida and Georgia prohibited a ninth conference game at this time.
The approval of the 6-1-1 doesn't come as a great surprise, but LSU did do its best to upset the apple cart in favor of its own self-preservation. Miles and several LSU officials have been on a crusade to get it's game against Florida squashed because it was more or less unfair. The Tigers had to play Florida, a team that has won more East titles than any other, in addition to playing Alabama and Arkansas. The West's other two powerhouse schools had relatively easy cross-divisional opponents.
But in the end, the SEC told LSU to suck it up and play the game, which was the right move both for the conference and for college football.
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