Dooley’s Dozen: 12 thoughts on the SEC schedule reveal
I was at Spurrier’s Wednesday night watching all of the moving and shaking going on (recruiting, potential coaching hires) when the general manager Freddie Wehbe came up and asked me if I had seen the schedule reveal.
I had forgotten about it and at first glance, it looked like about what I expected.
Then my wife got a glimpse and said, “That’s an exciting schedule.”
Of course, all she saw was “At Texas.” She loves Austin and apparently, we will be going.
That said, I needed some time to dissect it all. As a result, this edition of Dooley’s Dozen gives you 12 thoughts on the new Southeastern Conference schedule reveal.
Don’t get carried away
Once ESPN gets its house in financial order, the league is going to go to nine games, probably by 2025. This wasn’t the time to ask for more money for an extra conference game, but it’s coming. So, this is really just a stopgap. But it certainly is an interesting one.
Because they did a great job
I have been critical of what I refer to as “lazy scheduling” in the SEC, but this one hits a lot of the right notes. They tried to make it as fair as possible while still preserving some of the secondary rivalries like Florida-LSU and Georgia–Auburn. But remember that is just a one-year schedule and those could not be there in 2025.
The Gators caught a bit of a break
There are no easy schedules in this conference, especially not now. But because of the neutral site game in Jacksonville (for now), Florida plays only three SEC games at home every other year. Well, the Gators play four this year and then four again next season. So, there is that. Of course, they also play Miami and FSU.
But they are going to Starkville
Just for the 2024 season to start. You get to go to Austin and Starkville along with Knoxville. We’re pretty sure fans who want to travel will avoid one of those three trips. Take a guess which one.
Everyone plays Texas or Oklahoma
Which is a cool way to welcome the newbies into the league. Since Florida goes to Texas this year, we assume the Gators will go to Oklahoma the following year. But nothing is written in stone. The cool thing is that Tennessee goes to Oklahoma where Josh Heupel is a legend and Texas vs. Texas A&M is happening for the first time since the Aggies left for the SEC.
The divisions are definitely gone
And even though we knew this was coming, it’s kind of startling to see a Florida schedule without Missouri, South Carolina and Vanderbilt and with five opponents from what we will call the Old West (if you include Texas). Alabama plays five teams from the Old East. It’s different.
Except that Georgia is still not going to Texas A&M
Will Bulldog fans ever get to go to College Station? It’s amazing that Georgia will still not have played a game at Kyle Field. They are going to Texas but not Texas A&M. But the Bulldogs did not get off with their usual light SEC schedule with road games at Alabama, at Texas and at Kentucky.
Tennessee has a tough one
Games at Arkansas, Georgia and Oklahoma? Florida, Alabama and Kentucky at home? I’m sure the Vols feel like they are ready for anything, but I think they got the toughest of the tough.
There are so many games we can’t wait to see
This schedule is going to be so awesome for the fans in this conference that we almost want to fast-forward to 2024. Now, we can’t wait for the reveal of the days of the games to see who has the toughest three-game stretches because there are some that are going to be brutal.
The old rivalry is still brewing
Oklahoma fans are convinced that Texas got off with an easier schedule. On the surface, that might be true. But remember that we have no idea where a lot of these teams are going to be by the time we get to 2024. Florida on your schedule may be a good thing based on the last two years, but maybe not so much in Billy Napier’s third year.
Great games are gone but not for long
Again, we have to remember that this is a one-year schedule. But it does seem strange that we won’t be seeing Auburn-LSU, A&M-Alabama and Georgia-South Carolina. Not to mention the Florida games I mentioned earlier. Just remember that they may be gone, but not for long.
Florida will have no problem with ticket sales
The home games are against LSU, Texas A&M, Ole Miss and Kentucky, plus Miami and UCF (plus the dreaded Samford Bulldogs). Get your tickets now! It’s going to be a doozy.
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