What’s going on in the Big 12 and beyond? I expand and explain every Sunday in Postscripts at Heartland College Sports, your home for independent Big 12 coverage.
This week, the SEC counts to a new number and all of our coverage from the epic game in Ireland. I mean, we weren’t there, but we followed along like everyone else.
THE SEC CAN COUNT TO NINE
I must admit. I didn’t think I would see the day when the SEC would agree to play nine conference games. But earlier this week the SEC announced that starting next season it will move to a nine-game league schedule. It sounds like they’re going to adopt a model that I think many of us were hoping the Big 12 would adopt, with three protected rivalry games and six rotating conference games which allows teams to play every one of the conference every two years.
Maybe the Big 12 will get there one day. Maybe they could just tear up the current schedule and do that next year so we can protect Farmageddon. That game deserves it. It’s always a banger.
Anyway, the SEC finally got religion and got on board. Now, three of the four power conferences will have nine league games in 2026. The one holdout is the ACC, though it has a curious issue, as many including NBC Sports’ Nicole Auerbach pointed out. The ACC has 17 teams. So it really can’t play a nine-game schedule because, you know, math. Auerbach theorized that one team would either play eight league games or 10 league games. On3’s Brett McMurphy (that’s still weird to write) reported the ACC could decide to include Notre Dame’s five crossover games as conference games. Where there’s a will, there’s a way.
There’s probably a mathematical way to figure it out. But even more incredible to me was the SEC’s new requirement. All SEC teams must play at least one game in non-conference against a power conference opponent or Notre Dame. That means starting next year all of their schedules must feature 10 power conference teams. The Big 12 is already doing this for the most part. But commissioner Brett Yormark has made it clear he wants that happening.
That’s not going to eliminate the cupcake game for the SEC. The league’s members are still going to get their easy one and likely position it in mid-November to annoy everyone. But, at least things will be a bit more balanced from a resume standpoint moving forward.
The College Football Playoff Dilemma
Now the tough part. We still don’t have agreement on an expanded College Football Playoff. Everyone knows the drill. The Big 12 and the ACC prefer the 5 + 11. The SEC seems to be straddling the line between that and the 4 + 4 + 2 + 2 + 1 plus whatever. And the Big Ten, of course, just wants to blow the whole thing up and have seven automatic bids for their league and the SEC.
Some sportswriters, like ESPN’s Heather Dinich, made the case that this move by the SEC might make it easier for them to get on board with the 4+4. Our Pete Mundo didn’t go that far, but he wrote earlier this week that he felt the move was about the SEC “stacking the metrics” when it comes to CFP selection.
I think if we’re going to have a 16-team playoff, 5+11 is the way to go because the SEC is going to get multiple bids regardless of the system. I just don’t want a system where more than one automatic bid per conference is baked in. It makes the regular season irrelevant at that point. But, we all know SEC commissioner Greg Sankey is going to do what’s best for his league. And if 4 + 4 is what works best, then that’s what he’s going to push for.
I’m not buying the Big 12 talking point that the SEC and Big Ten can’t set the direction of the CFP. Everyone signed the MOU. It’s been widely reported. If they can’t get a compromise those two leagues will set the terms. That’s why Yormark should continue to cultivate a relationship with Sankey. It’s vital. Even the long-time SEC boss must admit that Big Ten commissioner Tony Pettiti’s seven-bid proposal is insane. The Big Ten and the SEC could walk away tomorrow with their own playoff and it wouldn’t hurt them — but it would hurt everyone else. That’s what everyone must remember here. It’s a delicate dance.
But at least the SEC can count to nine now. That could help the Big 12 with non-conference games down the line.
FARMAGEDDON GOES INTERNATIONAL AND IT’S AMAZING
We weren’t in Dubin for the Iowa State-Kansas State game and the only people we must blame are ourselves, but mostly Pete since he won’t part with the HCS private plane. But it looked like a great time. Here’s some of our coverage from the game and the ramp-up to the game.
If you were following the fan bases on social media all week, you know they traveled well (they always do).
I don’t know if the Iowa State fans took their own Busch Light to Dublin, but judging by this beer snake the Cyclones had a good time.
Our takeaways from the game, including how Iowa State coach Matt Campbell and Kansas State coach Chris Klieman both gambled — but it only paid off for one of them in the 24-21 Cyclones win.
The injury status of running back Dylan Edwards is worth keeping an eye on leading up to next week’s game with North Dakota and the remaining non-conference schedule for the Wildcats.
And, as I wrote after the game, the loser of this game was going to have a much harder road to the Big 12 title game since this was a conference game. Since Kansas State lost, I outlined what the next few weeks are going to look like as it tries to get its footing back after an 0-1 start.
