Fresh off the delight he experiences in getting a bloated roster down to 85 scholarship players, Nick Saban renewed talk of his desire to see the SEC switch to a nine-game conference schedule. Citing the increase in teams, players not being able to play against every SEC team during their four years in school, and the always popular "don't cheat the fans" line, Saban made his case to the SEC higher-ups and the people of the SEC through the media gathered at the conference spring meetings in Destin.
While all of Saban's points are soaked in logic and very agreeable, not all school's coaches and athletic directors have the same job security and resources as Saban does to take on a nine-game conference schedule. If they can avoid a potential loss to rattle off a few 7-5 or 8-4 seasons rather than 6-6 or 7-5 versions, which would be used against them come time for contract/job future discussions, they're going to keep fighting for the eight-game schedule because money and gainful employment are nice things to have.
It seems like a decent compromise would be to keep the schedule at eight conference games and do away with permanent cross-division rivals so that the cross-division rotation expands. This may make Alabama/Tennessee or Auburn/Georgia fans upset over losing a yearly rivalry game, but those games mean nothing to the other 12 schools.
Why continue doing something that less than 30% of your members can only defend by angrily screaming, "TRA-DISH-YUN", especially if it's clogging the path to a wider range of conference opponents for everyone? And let's be honest, Tennessee could use a break. Just kidding, NO MERCY FOR TENNESSEE EVER.
Eventually though, the nine-game schedule will defeat the eight-game schedule. However, it won't be because Nick Saban exercises mind and financial control over Mike Slive's office (though, PAAAWWWLLL, HE MIGHT).
It will happen because the crunching of the numbers will tell those in charge more money can be made by way of nine conference games instead of eight. And numbers that suggest way more money crush any argument or defense 100% of the time.
So, while the clock runs out of the eight-game schedule and we take time to drill in our heads that money makes all decisions final, what if Nick Saban REALLY GETS THIS DONE THROUGH MIND CONTROL?
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