It seems like Yormark is trying to create a wedge between the SEC and B1G on at least this. It’s pretty plausible that on the outside the SEC would like as many at larges as possible while the B1G has already stated they love the 4 auto format they’d receive. While if im the B12 I’d likely take the 2 autos, I can understand wanting to try and drive a wedge between the B1G/SEC while also stating your doing this for the “good of college football.”
This whole thing started when Greg Sankey cried like a little bitch about the selection process right after the gumps got left out and the big bad SEC only got 3 teams in. Sankey has been giving opinions on the CFP so yeah, he and by extension the SEC is going to get criticized for it.
There is no doubt more B12 and ACC teams need to start investing heavily in football. It is becoming an absolute joke for some of these schools. (My alma mater included) If they want opinions to improve, they need to cowboy up and do it on the field. And that’s exactly what Yormark is saying (quite literally) when he chooses the 5+11 model.
I don't think you are giving Sankey and the SEC credit ... they are playing everyone. When you are the SEC, everyone jumps your shit. Other fans, media, etc. The minute the P2 started talking about AQs where they got 4 and others got 2, the media went after the SEC, saying they were stacking the deck, asking for places to be decided before the season started. So, they said fuck it, we will go with 5+11 and the media and opposing fans went apeshit when they realized that the SEC could get 6 and they accused the SEC of wanting to dominate the CFP. In other words, no matter what the SEC said, they were going to give them shit. So, the SEC can now say double fuck it, we'll do what is best for us because you are going to give us shit no matter what.
Here is what I think they will do:
- They will go to 9 ... they weren't going to do that without AQs, but they also can't walk away from the $80 million it brings in, plus TV Viewership that will kick the B1G in the balls more than it did last year. With 9 games, there will another 4-6 four million games.
- They will agree to 4-4-2.5-2.5-1-2. This will let the SEC do the play-in scenario which will generate a bunch more money. I like the 2.5-2.5 part of this as it means the 1/2 from each the ACC and B12 play each other for their conference championship and seeding. Then the 3 from each conference will player each other cross-conference to see who get the non-P2 5 AQ. This will make Championship Weekend, which will be on Thanksgiving unreal ... Thursday night - Saturday night, wall to wall awesome football with 8 games deciding who is going to get in. Again, it will generate a ton of money.
- With this, the SEC gets a shot at a 5th in most years. Keep in mind that the SEC gets paid the same whether they have 2 or 6. I am sure they will be happy to make an extra $100 million each year, and get 4-5 in every year.
- The only thing in question is that extra .5 each for the ACC/B12. Maybe the SEC says fuck it, we want a shot at 2 at-large.
- The ACC and the B12 have to understand they would be better off with the 2.
- That said, I think we all have recently bias. I went back and looked at the teams that would have gotten in and the B12 does a lot better than you would think. Whether they can maintain that in the NIL era, I don't know, but they have had a lot more teams that would get into a CFP-16 than I thought.
-
