Who Do You Want to See Added to Alabama's 2020 Schedule?
The Southeastern Conference's new 10-game, league-only schedule could be released at any moment.
Speculation is growing amongst fans as to who the University of Alabama will get as its two SEC East opponents to round out the schedule.
Florida and Vanderbilt are rumored, due to those two schools being next in the Crimson Tide's cross-divisional rotation of games for the 2021 and 2022 seasons.
Sports Illustrated's very own, Ross Dellenger, reported that the conference would use a strength of schedule model, for each school, to access who will play who in the two added games because just playing the next year's cross-divisional opponent would shake up future schedules.
Alabama has quite the hardest schedule out of anyone in the league, even before it was announced it was moving to 10 games. Georgia, Auburn, Texas A&M, and Mississippi State at home, then, Tennessee, LSU, Ole Miss, and Arkansas on the road.
Based on its records from 2019, the Crimson Tide's opponents had an average winning percentage of just above 60 percent, which ranks as the fifth toughest strength of schedule as currently constructed.
Add Florida, a team that won 11 games last year, and that percentage jumps up to 62. As for the second team, in my opinion, a squad like Kentucky or Missouri would be most likely if the league wants to balance things out.
Along with another marquee matchup, like the Crimson Tide facing off with the Gators, you might see the league shake up with rivalry games are played.
The Pac-12 did this last Friday, when it released its revamped schedule.
USC is playing UCLA, and Arizona is playing Arizona State in their respective season openers. Oregon-Oregon State is taking place in week four, and the Apple Cup is in week nine.
Al.com has reported that the Big 10 is releasing its schedule sometime on Tuesday, and there is a rumor that Ohio State-Michigan will not take place as the regular season finale.
So, why not play the Iron Bowl in the middle of the year? Or, maybe even, play it as the opener? Because if the season gets cut short due to a COVID-19 outbreak, at least we can have that one game to sooth us all over.
Finally, an expanded conference schedule could be here for the long haul, if things go smoothly, with highly-anticipated non-conference matchups mixed in between in 2021 and beyond.
Alabama coach Nick Saban has been one of the few voices, pushing strongly for a 9-game conference schedule year-in and year-out. The SEC is the only Power Five conference that only plays eight normally.
In 2020, at least, fans are going to competitive, meaningful games each and every week, and this could mean the end of all the cupcake games once this schedule is pulled off.
BamaCentral's own Tyler Martin breaks it all down in this week's Talk of the Tide and let us know in the comments who you want to see Alabama add to its schedule this season.
