I saw on an Arkansas site a discussion on "what if" the SEC went to a 3-5-5 scheduling concept. You'd play your three permanent rivals plus five of the other teams for two years, then play your three rivals and the "other" five teams for two years. That would give you eight conference games, and you'd play at least a home-and-home with every program over the course of four years.
With OU and UT joining, that could be expanded to a 3-6-6 concept, which would accomplish the same thing with nine conference games.
Saban already is on the record wanting nine conference games, so it seems like he would support it.