Cowbell Corner

SEC to reveal Mississippi State's three "annual" opponents next Tuesday

The Bulldogs will learn who will be on their first nine-game SEC schedule, as well as the three teams they'll face each season.
Taylor Hodges|
Mississippi State Bulldogs wide receiver Anthony Evans III (3) reacts during the first quarter against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field.
Mississippi State Bulldogs wide receiver Anthony Evans III (3) reacts during the first quarter against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field. | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

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Mississippi State Bulldogs

Go ahead and put a reminder in your phone for next Tuesday.

According to CBS Sports, the SEC will reveal the new nine-game conference schedules for each team Tuesday.

And, yes, that includes identifying the three permanent rivals that will, reportedly, be called “annual opponents.”

Per Brandon Marcello, “All 16 SEC teams will have three permanent rivals on the schedule, but with a twist: those three opponents will be reviewed every four years, leaving the possibility of further scheduling changes beyond 2030, sources said. The three opponents will be referred to as ‘annual opponents’ and not as ‘permanent opponents’ because of the potential for changes beyond the four-year review.”

So, basically, even if Alabama isn’t an initial “annual opponent” that could change.

Further into Marcello’s story he mentions some traditional rivalries have already assured will continue, including the Egg Bowl rivalry.

That’s not surprising since he also mentions the Red River Rivalry and Iron Bowl as others that have been told will continue.

It wasn’t that long ago the SEC announced it would be moving to a nine-game conference schedule, with commissioner Greg Sankey saying:

“Adding a ninth SEC game underscores our universities’ commitment to delivering the most competitive football schedule in the nation,” Greg Sankey said in a statement released in August. “This format protects rivalries, increases competitive balance, and paired with our requirement to play an additional Power opponent, ensures SEC teams are well prepared to compete and succeed in the College Football Playoff.”

The new conference scheduling format will see each SEC team play its three “annual” opponents and the other six teams from a rotation. Each team will face every other SEC program at least once every two years. And every opponent, home and away, every four years.   

The most interesting thing that’ll come from Tuesday’s announcement is who each team’s “annual” opponents will be.

Back in August when the SEC made its initial announcement, we made predictions as to who we think will be those three “annual” opponents.

Ole Miss has basically been confirmed and our opinion of the others haven’t changed. You can read that story in full here, but here’s a quick summary:

The Super Obvious One

Ole Miss

The One Fans Don’t Want, But Will Probably Happen Anyways

Alabama

The Ones That Don’t Make Sense

Auburn. Florida. Georgia. South Carolina. Tennessee.

The Ones Fans Should Want

Arkansas. Kentucky. Missouri. Vanderbilt.

The Cruel, Unfair Ones

LSU. Texas.

The Realistic Ones

Oklahoma. Texas A&M.

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Taylor Hodges
TAYLOR HODGES

Award-winning sports editor, writer, columnist, and photographer with 15 years’ experience offering his opinion and insight about the sports world in Mississippi and Texas, but he was taken to Razorback pep rallies at Billy Bob's Texas in Fort Worth before he could walk. Taylor has covered all levels of sports, from small high schools in the Mississippi Delta to NFL games. Follow Taylor on Twitter and Facebook.

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