There is literally zero reason to link Oklahoma and Florida. Just another made-up, pulled-from-someone's-ass idea just like our pairing with LSU was in 1992.
The only issue with the trios is that some programs' ideal trios are all helmet schools. That's tough on the schedule. So the best way AND a more flexible way is to get 2 of those plus a weaker program you have played a ton in the past.
Texas' trio of OU, A&M, and Arky is fine, because Arky is a have-not.
Auburn's ideal trio is probably too tough - Alabama, Georgia, LSU....ouch. So keep the 2 you must (Bama & UGA), then add MSU or OM or whoever.
If you do this, everyone's mostly happy and isn't killing themselves on the scheduling aspect every year.
I agree with your take on OU and Florida being annual "rivals." The history of the two programs has intersected a grand total of twice. Both times in bowl games. And, as I posted earlier, Gainesville is the SEC campus farthest away from Norman, and it's probably true the other way around.
OU just doesn't have much history with longstanding SEC programs. 7 games with Bama, 3 games with Auburn, 4 games with LSU, 5 games with Tennessee, 2 games with Florida, 3 games with Kentucky, 2 games with Ole Miss, 1 game with Georgia. We've had 15 games with Arkansas, but only 3 in the last 99 years. We've had 31 games with Texas A&M, but the Aggies have much longer rivalries with Texas and Arkansas. OTOH, we've had 97 games with Missouri, going back to Big 6 days, so an annual OU-MU matchup makes historical sense, even if it has never been the major rivalry for each school. OU doesn't have a natural opponent for the 3rd permanent rivalry. Somehow, Florida is the choice that is being bandied about.
Supposedly, each of the top 8 SEC teams--as measured over the last 10 years--with have permanent rivalries with 2 other top 8 programs and 1 bottom 8 program. My source for this is columnist Berry Tramel of the
Tulsa World:
[R]eports about the SEC's projected nine-game schedule included the eight most recently (10 years) successful programs — Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana State, OU, Texas, Florida, Texas A&M and Auburn — would play two games annually against each other. OU couldn't get both Missouri and Arkansas, under that scenario.
I don't know what metric is being used to rank the SEC programs 1-16. I did a ranking based on total points in final AP polls over the last 10 years and I got a list somewhat different than Tramel's.
1. Alabama
2. Georgia
3. Oklahoma
4. LSU
5. Texas
6. Florida
7. Ole Miss
8. Tennessee
I guess we'll see how it all works out in the next 3-4 months.
