Greg Sankey explains the reasoning behind dropping divisions in football

The SEC commissioner used the terms ‘fair and balanced’ when discussing his reasoning behind dropping divisions from future football scheduling.

The 2023 football season has yet to commence, but there is heavy talk about what the SEC will be like in 2024.

Oklahoma and Texas have just under a year until they move into the SEC, which has, of course, changed the way that football scheduling will occur. The conference released the 2024 conference slate for each program last month, with one glaring detail missing: divisional play.

The SEC will go without divisions beginning in 2024 and will send the top two teams in the conference to the SEC championship game. SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey shared his reasoning behind the decision on Monday at SEC media days in Nashville.

When discussing the change, he used the terms “fair and balanced” liberally. By using this method, he hopes to see teams play other teams within the SEC more frequently. As an example, Auburn has not hosted Florida since 2011. Sankey believes that the issue will fade with divisions eliminated.

“Balance was rotating teams through with greater frequency,” Sankey said. “So I think plenty of people have written about a team may not see a team certainly for six years or may not go someplace for 12 years if they’re in another division. So that was balanced.”

When it comes to the fairness of the new schedule model, he says he hopes to give every program a challenging, yet manageable schedule.

“When we were going through the final filtering you’d say, wow, schedule A is tough, and then you’d be at schedule G and you’re like, that school has a tough schedule, and all the way through,” Sankey said. “There are 16 really challenging schedules.

Rivalry games are also an important part of the SEC, and Sankey says it will be a factor when it comes to the next move between an eight- and nine-game schedule.

“But there are some important, we’ll call them rivalry games, and we’re going to have to have a decision about do we play those every year or do we play some of them every other year?” Sankey said. “The eight-game format we can protect one on an annual basis and the other seven rotate. In the nine-game format, we know we can protect up to three, rotate the other six and achieve both that fairness and that balance issue.”

SEC media days continue through Thursday from Nashville’s Grand Hyatt Hotel.

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SEC media days to take place in Dallas in 2024

The SEC continues to expand its footprint by hosting the annual week-long event to the Lone Star State.

The SEC has expanded its footprint further west over the last 10 years and will do so again by moving its annual media days to a new home in 2024.

This week, SEC media days is being held outside of Hoover and Atlanta for the first time in history. This year’s event is taking place at the Grand Hyatt in downtown Nashville. Next year, the event will be on the move again. Dallas is set to host SEC media days at the Omni Hotel.

The move comes as a result of the addition of Oklahoma and Texas into the conference beginning in fall 2024. Conference officials previously mentioned an idea that every state represented in the SEC would host media days on a rotational basis.

It will mark the second consecutive season the SEC has elected to use a different location to host its annual media days. The event began in 1985 in Birmingham and stayed in the area until 2017 when a rotation began with Birmingham and Atlanta.

This year’s event began on Monday with Texas A&M, Missouri and LSU. It will conclude Thursday when Ole Miss, South Carolina and Tennessee take the podium.

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Here are the SEC’s most challenging environments according to Cole Cubelic

Is Jordan-Hare Stadium considered to be one of the conference’s top stadiums?

There are plenty of stadiums that come to mind when college football fans think of the most electric atmospheres across the country. Most belong to the SEC.

Winning is an important tradition in the SEC, but tradition is also a driving force for a stadium to be considered a challenging place to play. From the Eagle flight at Jordan-Hare Stadium to Sandstorm at Williams-Brice Stadium, each venue within the SEC is special in its own way.

Which stadiums are considered to be most difficult to play in? ESPN’s Cole Cubelic weighs in.

Cubelic, who played for Auburn during the late 90s, played in many of these amazing atmospheres and gets to take it all in as a sideline reporter on Saturday nights. Here are his top five most difficult stadiums to play in:

Which game on Auburn’s schedule could result in a major loss?

Which game on Auburn’s schedule result in an “upset”?

After a few seasons of disappointments, the Auburn Tigers are poised to return to a bowl game in 2023.

Their journey to the postseason could see a few roadblocks, however, as a “letdown” game or two is destined to happen. Out of all the games on Auburn’s schedule, which game would be viewed as an “upset” if the Tigers were to lose? Roll Tide Wire takes a look.

AJ Spurr of Roll Tide Wire recently picked one game on each SEC team’s schedule that could result in a shocking loss. For Auburn, it could take place on Nov. 4 at Vanderbilt.

Vanderbilt’s experience could be the deciding factor in a close game says Spurr.

There might be other games that could result in some surprising Auburn losses, like the road trip the Tigers will take to face Cal, but a loss to Vanderbilt would be the worst of them all. No one would be shocked if Auburn won this matchup. However, the same would have been said in 2022 if Florida and Kentucky defeated the Commodores. Instead, Clark Lea’s Vandy squad took down both of them. In a season where Hugh Freeze will still be getting a feel for his new program, I could see this team, which is mostly comprised of upperclassmen, earn a hard-fought win. It’s also worth noting that this game takes place in Nashville.

On the contrary, Auburn has the best chance to deliver a shocking loss to Texas A&M in late September. Auburn’s placement in the Aggies’ schedule comes at a pivotal time, and a loss to the Tigers could derail Texas A&M’s season.

The 2022 Texas A&M team was a disappointing one. Failing to make a bowl game was a shock, given the historic recruiting class and high expectations everyone had for Jimbo Fisher’s Aggies. Now, in 2023, this program is in dire need of a decent season. What that may be? It’s up for interpretation. If last year wasn’t as bad, I’d list Miami as a potential shocking loss. However, with the game being in Miami Gardens this time around, I don’t think a Hurricanes win would shock anybody. For that reason, I’m listing Auburn as the surprising loss for the Aggies. That game takes place in College Station and the Tigers are not expected to make a lot of noise. An early-season loss to Auburn at home could easily have this team at 2-2 heading into a very tough stretch of the schedule.

Auburn football is looking to bounce back following a 5-7 season in 2022, a season in which the Tigers missed a bowl game for the first time since 2012. The schedule appears to be favorable for Auburn to win at least six games, maybe more. Expect head coach Hugh Freeze to bring signs of life back into the program this season.

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Which SEC coaches are on the ‘hot seat’ ahead of the 2023 season?

Is Hugh Freeze in a good spot ahead of his first season on the Plains?

As July turns to its second half, “hot seat” chatter is beginning to heat up.

Many coaches across the country are in great spots to return to take their respective programs to conference championships, while just as many are hoping for an eight-win season in order to keep their job.

For the first time in what seems like an eternity, an Auburn head coach is not amongst the dreaded hot seat chatter. ,

CBS Sports’ Dennis Dodd recently graded each FBS head coach by tiers in regard to their hot seat status. For the most part, the SEC is mostly free of hot seat talk, but there are a few that need to have their best seasons yet in order to cool their seats.

Here’s a look at where each SEC head coach stands on Dodd’s College Football Hot Seat rankings.

Auburn reveals SEC Media Days participants

Auburn’s turn at SEC Media Days will come on Tuesday, July 18 at the Grand Hyatt in Nashville.

The kickoff to “talking season” gets underway in Nashville next week, as SEC Media Days begins Monday at Grand Hyatt in Music City.

It is the first chance to listen to SEC head coaches, as well as top talent from the SEC’s member institutions, ahead of the 2023 season. You can expect the media to ask [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] several interesting questions as he takes the podium for the first time as the head coach of the Auburn Tigers.

Who will accompany him in Nashville? Auburn made the official announcement on Monday morning.

Player representatives from Auburn will include offensive lineman Kam Stutts, tight end Luke Deal, and Vanderbilt transfer Elijah McAllister. Those three players will have the chance to discuss the upcoming season with media members across the Southeast when Auburn takes the stage on Tuesday, July 17.

  • [autotag]Luke Deal[/autotag] reeled in three passes for 34 yards last season at tight end for Auburn. He played 371 snaps in 12 games and allowed just three quarterback pressures.
  • Auburn’s next representative is [autotag]Kam Stutts[/autotag], who recorded the third-most snaps within the offensive line last season with 520. He allowed just two sacks and eight QB hurries.
  • Finally, [autotag]Elijah McAllister[/autotag] will return to Nashville as Auburn’s third representative. In four seasons at Vanderbilt, McAllister recorded 65 tackles as an EDGE with 6.5 tackles for loss.

Here’s a look at the full SEC Media Days schedule:

Monday, July 17 LSU HC Brian Kelly, QB Jayden Daniels, RB Josh Williams, DT Mekhi Wingo
Missouri HC Eli Drinkwitz, DB Kris Abrams-Draine, OL Javon Foster, DL Darius Robinson
Texas A&M HC Jimbo Fisher, DL Fadil Diggs, DL McKinnley Jackson, WR Ainias Smith
Tuesday,  July 18 Auburn HC Hugh Freeze, OL Kam Stutts, TE Luke Deal, DL Elijah McAllister
Georgia HC Kirby Smart, TE Brock Bowers, DB Kamari Lassiiter, OL Sedrick Van Pran
Mississippi State HC Zach Arnett, DT Jaden Crumedy, RB Jo’Quayvious Marks, QB Will Rogers
Vanderbilt HC Clark Lea, LB Ethan Barr, S Jaylen Mahoney, WR Will Sheppard
Wednesday, July 19 Alabama HC Nick Saban, OL JC Latham, DB Kool-Aid McKinstry, LB Dallas Turner
Arkansas HC Sam Pittman, DE Landon Jackson, QB KJ Jefferson, RB Rocket Sanders
Florida HC Billy Napier, OL Kingsley Eguakun, DB Jason Marshall, WR Ricky Pearsall
Kentucky HC Mark Stoops, OL Eli Cox, DL Octavious Oxendine, LB JJ Weaver
Thursday, July 20 Ole Miss HC Lane Kiffin, DE Cedric Johnson, RB Quinshon Judkins, CB Deantre Prince
South Carolina HC Shane Beamer, DL Tonka Hemingway, P Kai Kroeger, QB Spencer Rattler
Tennessee HC Josh Heupel, QB Joe Milton, DL Omari Thomas, TE Jacob Warren

The ‘Spurs Up Show’ is not high on Payton Thorne

The South Carolina-oriented podcast is following the trend of placing Thorne in the lower-tier of SEC QB rankings.

As the college football season draws nearer, SEC position rankings from various outlets are coming out left and right.

There have already been a few SEC quarterback rankings and Auburn newcomer [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag] is not getting much love in them.

This remained true in The Spurs Up Show’s rankings which places Thorne in the No. 11 position.

Thorne completed 242 passes for 2,679 yards off of 387 attempts for the Michigan State Spartans in 2022. He also threw 19 touchdown passes to 11 interceptions.

If Thorne were to replicate that stat line, it would be a significant improvement over the quarterback play the Tigers had last season.

The field of SEC quarterbacks is tough, but it will not be long before Auburn fans see what Thorne is capable of in college football’s most competitive conference.

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Auburn football cracks Phil Steele’s top 25 power poll

The college football expert is giving Auburn more credit than most this preseason.

It appears to be an understanding across the board that Auburn football will go through a transition season in 2023, as new head coach [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] will look to rebuild a program that was mishandled over the last several seasons.

Recruiting and overall morale have amplified on the Plains, which is enough reason for one publication to put some respect on Auburn’s name heading into the season.

Phil Steele, a college football expert that has published a preseason magazine every year over the last 25 seasons, has revealed his top 25 power poll ahead of the 2023 season. In a surprising move, Steele has placed Auburn in the No. 25 slot.

On3’s Andrew Graham shared his take on each team that made the top 25 and says that this season at Auburn could be different than the previous two seasons.

With a new head coach and quarterback, it seems Auburn is poised to stop underachieving as it had under Bryan Harsin. The Tigers had a few paltry seasons with Harsin and then under interim Cadillac Williams, but have since hired offensive maven Hugh Freeze.

Another factor in this ranking is the addition of quarterback Payton Thorne from the transfer portal. The Michigan State transfer led the Spartans to 11 wins in 2021 and could experience similar success at Auburn.

And one of Freeze’s biggest moves since getting the job is luring former Michigan State quarterback Payton Thorne to The Plains. Thorne has two-years of Big Ten starting experience under his belt and was MSU’s starting quarterback for their 11-win campaign in 2021. If Thorne plays like he’s shown he can, Auburn can play to a Top 25 level.

Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M, LSU, Alabama, and Georgia are other notable programs on Steele’s list.

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Where Hugh Freeze lands in CBS Sports’ SEC head coach rankings

How quickly can Freeze revitalize the Tigers program?

Auburn has found the right guy to run its football program in [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag].

Freeze comes to the Plains with plenty of experience, and is already starting to show signs of that in recruiting and building team morale. It seems as if his return to the SEC is shaping up to be an exciting one.

All that is left to do now is for him to prove his worth on the field. Barrett Sallee of CBS Sports believes that Freeze can rebuild the Tigers program after the setback caused during the Harsin era. Sallee places Freeze at No. 8 in his SEC head coaches rankings ahead of the 2023 season.

Freeze enters his inaugural campaign on the Plains looking to revitalized a program that fell on hard times during the Bryan Harsin debacle. Freeze was 39-25 at Ole Miss from 2012-16 with New Year’s Six bowl appearances in 2014 and 2015. He led Liberty to eight or more wins in each of his four seasons (2019-22) and played a big role in the Flames’ move to Conference USA.

Considering that Freeze is returning to the SEC after being away for six years, being listed in the middle tier is a respectable nod.

Here’s a complete look at Sallee’s SEC head coach rankings:

1. Nick Saban (Alabama)
2. Kirby Smart (Georgia)
3. Bryan Kelly (LSU)
4. Lane Kiffin (Ole Miss)
5. Josh Heupel (Tennessee)
6. Mark Stoops (Kentucky)
7. Jimbo Fisher (Texas A&M)
8. Hugh Freeze (Auburn)
9. Shane Beamer (South Carolina)
10. Sam Pittman (Arkansas)
11. Billy Napier (Florida)
12. Eli Drinkwitz (Missouri)
13. Clark Lea (Vanderbilt)
14. Zach Arnett (Mississippi State)

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Which Auburn legend is a favorite of ESPN’s Rece Davis?

The ESPN personality recently picked his all-time favorite player from each SEC program, and this Auburn Heisman winner made the cut.

ESPN personality Rece Davis has seen his share of college football games during his lifetime.

A native of Muscle Shoals and a graduate of the University of Alabama, Davis could be considered an expert on SEC football, which means that his opinion on such matters carries plenty of merit.

He recently revealed his picks for an all-time favorite player from each SEC team. For his Auburn representative, he chose a Heisman Trophy winner. However, it may not be the one that you are thinking about.

Davis says that a former Auburn quarterback is his favorite Tiger of all time, the 1971 Heisman Trophy winner, [autotag]Pat Sullivan[/autotag].

Sullivan was the first player from Auburn to win the coveted award after throwing for over 2,000 yards and 21 touchdowns in 1971, on his way to winning his second-straight SEC Player of the Year honor. His Auburn career ended with 6,534 total yards and 54 touchdowns while rushing for an additional 541 yards.

Sullivan would go on to have a lengthy coaching career. He dove into the profession in 1986, serving as the quarterbacks coach at Auburn until 1991. He left Auburn to become the head coach at TCU from 1992-97, where he led the Horned Frogs to a 24-42-1 record. He finished his coaching career at Samford, going 47-43 in eight seasons.

Sullivan passed away in 2019 following a lengthy battle with cancer.

Other players to make Davis’ list includes Tennessee‘s Reggie White, Georgia‘s David Pollack, and Arkansas‘ Darren McFadden.

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