Oliver and his buddy Nick are right. I'd rather be playing Ole Miss for a home opener than Toledo. I also like the idea of rotating through all the west opponents rather than playing LSU every year.
On Wed, May 29, 2013 at 10:00 AM, mail.bobparks.com <[email protected]>wrote: > For once I am in complete agreement with Nick Saban. Play somebody good > and you'll fill the stadium. > > Oliver Barry, CRS, GRI > Real Estate Broker > Bob Parks, LLC > 1517 Hunt Club Blvd > Gallatin TN 37066 > 615-972-4239 > 615-826-4040 > Sent from my iPhone > > Begin forwarded message: > > *From:* Shane Ford <[email protected]> > *Date:* May 29, 2013, 7:14:39 AM CDT > *To:* GatorNEWS <[email protected]> > *Subject:* *[gatornews] [SUN]: Eight-game SEC slate popular among coaches* > *Reply-To:* [email protected] > > Eight-game SEC slate popular among coaches**** > > By Robbie Andreu <http://www.gatorsports.com/personalia/andreur> > Gainesville SUN Staff writer**** > Published: Tuesday, May 28, 2013 at 7:59 p.m.**** Last Modified: Tuesday, > May 28, 2013 at 7:59 p.m.**** > > ** ** > > SANDESTIN — Alabama’s Nick Saban pretty much stands alone in the SEC (and > the rest of the college football world) with where he has his back-to-back > national championship program at the moment.**** > > And, he apparently stands close to alone among his league coaching peers > with his stance on a potential nine-game SEC football schedule in the > future.**** > > Most of the other coaches at the SEC Spring Meetings seem to think eight > is enough.**** > > Saban begs to differ, saying nine is just right.**** > > “I’m absolutely in the minority, no question about it,” Saban said > Tuesday. “But everybody has their reasons. The biggest thing we all need to > do in some of these decisions we’re making about who we play and what we do > is: What about the fans? **** > > “One of these days, they’re going to quit coming to the games because > they’re going to stay at home and watch it on TV. Everybody’s going to say, > ‘Why don’t you come to the games?’ Well, if you’d play somebody good, then > we’d come to the games. That should be the first consideration. Nobody’s > considering them.”**** > > SEC commissioner Mike Slive said the football coaches and athletic > directors had a “healthy” discussion about future scheduling Tuesday, and > that talks will continue throughout the week.**** > > “They’re going to continue that discussion,” Slive said. “I certainly > don’t think we’ll come to any closure here, but it is my hope everybody > will weigh in on the discussion and share with everybody here and then > we’ll see where we are Friday as to what the next step is.**** > > “It’s an important issue that we’re going to give a lot of attention to.”* > *** > > The coaches certainly did Tuesday.**** > > Saban said too many coaches wanting to stay at eight games are more > concerned about winning games and getting bowl eligible, something that > many teams could find significantly more difficult playing a nine-game SEC > schedule.**** > > “They’re just thinking about, ‘How many games can I win? Can I get bowl > qualified? How many tough teams do I have to play?’ ” Saban said. “After > coaching in the NFL for eight years, everybody in the NFL plays everybody > in the NFL, and you lose some games.**** > > “The Giants lost how many games and won the Super Bowl, six? I think it > makes it more exciting if you don’t have to do undefeated or just one game > to be able to have a chance to qualify to play for something at the end.”* > *** > > Just like it was a year ago, future scheduling is a hot-button topic at > the league’s annual spring meetings.**** > > Coaches were quick to express their opinions Tuesday, including Saban, who > went against the grain again by pushing for a ninth league game.**** > > “I’ve always been an advocate of nine games,” he said. “I was probably the > only person who spoke out for that a year ago. I just think if we increase > the size of the league by 15 percent, then we really need to increase the > number of games.**** > > “There are people who want to keep their cross-division rivalries. I think > every player should have the opportunity to play every school in his > career. If you don’t play two rotating games on the other side, that > doesn’t happen. I really don’t think we should become a conference of just > two divisions, where you just play your division and never play anybody on > the other side. The Southeastern Conference is great.”**** > > With two schools (Texas A&M and Missouri) joining the league a year ago, > the SEC adopted a 6-1-1 schedule format at these meetings a year ago. Each > school plays six division games, one cross-division game and one permanent > cross-division game. The current format will run through the 2014 season, > and likely through 2015, Slive said.**** > > This week the league will discuss possible changes, including going to a > ninth game and keeping one permanent cross-division opponent.**** > > Many of the league’s 14 football coaches said they would like to see the > SEC schedule hold at eight games in the future.**** > > “Without question, eight,” Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze said. “For me, when > you add a ninth game, that’s seven more losses for our conference. We want > to fill out our bowl slots. We want our kids to go. We want to represent > our conference.**** > > “Playing that ninth game would create more revenue, but it would also set > us up for more losses. I’m in favor of playing the West for us and two > rotators (with no permanent cross-division opponent).**** > > “That is what I would push and vote for. I don’t know how everyone else > feels.”**** > > There are differing opinions.**** > > Arkansas coach Bret Bielema and Vanderbilt’s James Franklin said the > schedule should stay at eight (in some form), citing the fact the league > has won seven consecutive national titles with the eight-game format.**** > > “Well, I think any coach who is going to speak truthfully and honestly, > they prefer the eight,” Bielema said. “I understand the reasons behind the > nine. But a wise man once taught me, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.**** > > “The SEC obviously has figured it out the last several years, and the > success they’ve had. I understand the world of college football changes > dramatically in 2014. If they asked my opinion, I would hold the pattern > from what it is through ’14 and ’15, kind of see where it is and if we need > to adjust.”**** > > Franklin said he’ll take a similar stance.**** > > “The thing I’m pounding the table about is eight games,” Franklin said. > “That’s in the best interest of the SEC. That’s in the best interest of > Vanderbilt. **** > > “The SEC has won the last seven national championships with this model. > We’ve got a pretty good model right now. The other thing is you look at > Georgia, they have to play Georgia Tech. South Carolina has to play Clemson. > **** > > “You go to nine games and you’ve got two games left of flexibility. I > think flexibility is the key.”**** > > Franklin said an eight-game schedule gives schools a better chance to > build a schedule that better fits its short and long-term goals.**** > > “Eight games allows everyone to have flexibility to solve their own > problems,” he said. “If you’re worried about strength of schedule because > you feel you have a team that can play for a national championship, go out > and schedule the four toughest (non-conference) games in the country.**** > > “If you’re trying to build your program, it allows you to schedule the > kind of games you need to do it.”**** > > Regardless what the coaches’ consensus might be, where the league goes > with scheduling ultimately rests in the hands of Slive.**** > > “Commissioner Slive has shown over the course of time he’s not afraid to > make a decision in a certain amount of time and change things,” Bielema > said.**** > > *Contact Robbie Andreu at 352-374-5022 or [email protected]. Also > check out Andreu's blog at Gatorsports.com.***** > > ** ** > > -- > -- > GATORS: ONE VOICE ON SATURDAY - NO VOICE ON SUNDAY! > 1996 National Football Champions | 2006 National Basketball Champions > 2006 National Football Champions | 2007 National Basketball Champions > 2008 National Football Champions | > Three Heisman Trophy winners: Steve Spurrier (1966), Danny Wuerffel (1996), > Tim Tebow (2007) - Visit our website at www.gatornet.us > --- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "GatorNews" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out. > > > > -- > -- > GATORS: ONE VOICE ON SATURDAY - NO VOICE ON SUNDAY! > 1996 National Football Champions | 2006 National Basketball Champions > 2006 National Football Champions | 2007 National Basketball Champions > 2008 National Football Champions | > Three Heisman Trophy winners: Steve Spurrier (1966), Danny Wuerffel (1996), > Tim Tebow (2007) - Visit our website at www.gatornet.us > --- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "GatorTalk" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out. > > > -- Helen Huntley (727) 823-3801 www.helenhuntley.com -- -- GATORS: ONE VOICE ON SATURDAY - NO VOICE ON SUNDAY! 1996 National Football Champions | 2006 National Basketball Champions 2006 National Football Champions | 2007 National Basketball Champions 2008 National Football Champions | Three Heisman Trophy winners: Steve Spurrier (1966), Danny Wuerffel (1996), Tim Tebow (2007) - Visit our website at www.gatornet.us --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "GatorTalk" group. 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