More SEC, Georgia football schedule notes

By Brent Zell

Yes, yes, Georgia came out smelling like a rose in the 2012 SEC football schedule, which was released today. Like Dawg Nation’s going to complain. Call it karmic payback for the years of opening with the likes of Boise State and Oklahoma State.

Thank tradition for the relatively decent schedule. Despite the addition of two teams to expand the league to 14 teams, the schedule makers kept it at eight conference games for each team in 2012 – six games within the division and two opponents from the opposite division. However, some traditional crossover rivalries remained in intact, such as Georgia vs. Auburn. Ole Miss fell into the one spot from the West left for Georgia next season when it could’ve been Alabama. Yeah, we’ll take that trade. And hey, Ole Miss was finally good for something besides hiring coaches based on the entertainment value of their names. (Kidding, of course, Rebels fans)

Other notes on the schedules:

• Texas A&M travels to Alabama, Mississippi State and Auburn and has Arkansas on a neutral field. Plus LSU and Florida at home.  Welcome to the SEC, Aggies.
• The other SEC rookie, Missouri, didn’t do too bad: Georgia, Vanderbilt and Alabama at home and no LSU. The Tigers do have Florida and South Carolina on the road, however.
• It looks like LSU will have the toughest road schedule. The Tigers go to Auburn and Florida in the first two weeks of the conference season, with trips to Texas A&M and Arkansas. That slate edges out Alabama, which travels to LSU, Arkansas, Mizzou and Tennessee.
• Arkansas has to travel to Auburn and South Carolina, but does get LSU and Alabama at home to bookend its conference slate.