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The TV contracts are the TV contracts, regardless of who Texas schedules. The money is the same regardless.

Same in the B1G.  The TV money is split and Ohio State doesn't get a bonus for bringing in LOTS of eyeballs by scheduling Texas, same thing for Michigan when the B1G TV contract gets to broadcast the OU/M return game.  

That said, the overall contracts are worth more because of games like tOSU/TX and OU/M but 1/16 (TX/OU) and 1/18 (tOSU/M) isn't enough to make it worthwhile.  Which leads to this:  

I believe that going forward the SEC is going to have a requirement for everyone to play one P4 OOC, but that could be Boston College or Syracuse just as easily as it could be Ohio State, and the requirement would be satisfied.

This is a valid concern.  I think that the B1G requirement is worded the same as the SEC requirement so yeah, Texas, Oklahoma, Ohio State, and Michigan could replace each other with BC, Syracuse, etc.  That is a potential problem.  

Same in the B1G.  The TV money is split and Ohio State doesn't get a bonus for bringing in LOTS of eyeballs by scheduling Texas, same thing for Michigan when the B1G TV contract gets to broadcast the OU/M return game. 

That said, the overall contracts are worth more because of games like tOSU/TX and OU/M but 1/16 (TX/OU) and 1/18 (tOSU/M) isn't enough to make it worthwhile.  Which leads to this:  This is a valid concern.  I think that the B1G requirement is worded the same as the SEC requirement so yeah, Texas, Oklahoma, Ohio State, and Michigan could replace each other with BC, Syracuse, etc.  That is a potential problem. 

Yup, this is the exact problem that ESPN/Disney and the other network partners need to be concerned about.

Because if teams like Texas aren't rewarded for scheduling tough OOC opponents that are potential losses, then those games ARE going to start getting canceled.  And the value of the contract that ESPN/Disney originally awarded the SEC, will diminish. 

Texas charges the same for a big game ticket per seat as a game against Mississippi state or Kentucky?

or a big game when tOSU comes to town compared to a weak non-con opponent?

Huskers always jacked prices for the texas game in Lincoln

No you're right, there's a difference.  But when something like 80% of the stadium is sold as season tickets, that price is already incorporated into the total.  Officially there's a difference, but it's not like the vast majority of the stadium is able to buy a ticket to Ohio State, but opt out for Syracuse, or vice versa, depending on face value ticket price.  They've already bought the season ticket regardless of opponents.

And the price of the season tickets has gone up almost every year for the past 30, regardless of the home schedule, so it's not like the quality of the home schedule affects season ticket sales.

Ed Zachery - it's not tuff for TV contract negotiators to use past TV ratings and project future TV ratings

Ed Zachery - it's not tuff for TV contract negotiators to use past TV ratings and project future TV ratings

But that's exactly the point being made here.

It's entirely up to the TV networks, and more specifically Disney/ABC/ESPN, since they own the playoffs.

If they want to maintain the value of their contracts by featuring marquee early season OOC matchups, then they're going to have to reward even the losers of those games with respect to making the CFP.

If they don't reward the losers of those games, then those types of games WILL start to disappear, and thus affect long-term value of Disney's holdings.

It really is their choice to make, and they're going to have to make it right now.

That's entire point of this thread.  We're at that point, right here, right now. It's  not 5 or 10 years in the future.  Their choices today, are going to have decades-long lasting effects.

I'm not sure programs will alter scheduling as a result of Texas missing the CFP.  Maybe.

I'm almost certain Texas will.  Sarkisian already made comments along those lines, and he wouldn't say anything the AD hadn't blessed.

I understand making comments about it, but changing scheduling seems like a separate thing.  He's trying to jaw his way in.  I guess we'll see.

Be interesting to list out the major program games scheduled in the future and see if they start to be redone.  UGA won't drop Tech, but they could drop Clemson, Ohio State, and FSU.

We might see more of the kickoff specials one and done?

Oh he's definitely politicking.

But the reality is, in the current 12-team CFP landscape, it's the right thing to do, anyway.

That hasn't always been the case, actually.  It wasn't the right thing in the 4-team playoff because the risk/reward ratio was different.  In 2023 Texas playing, and beating, Alabama in the OOC schedule, is what put Texas into the playoffs.

But in a 12-team playoff the risk/reward calculation is very different.  Pure W/L column appears to rule the day.

In some future 16-team playoff (or larger), those calculations probably change again.

But for now, scheduling a loss is a losing proposition.