I Created A Full 70-Game Schedule for the 2020 SEC Football Season

After weeks of speculation, Sports Illustrated’s Ross Dellenger confirmed something we’ve been suspecting: The SEC football season will consist of a 10-game, conference-only schedule.

As fate would have it, this announcement came literally five minutes after I finished designing a full schedule for the entire conference! I’ll list the week-by-week schedule first, with each team’s individual schedules being lower. Before we get into it, some notes.

• For the additional two games, I chose the next two cross-divisional games on each team’s schedules. Dellenger is reporting this might not happen, but I already made the schedule and it’s a hell of a lot work to go back and change it around. At first I just picked random cross-divisional matchups from the past few years, but I needed something uniform.
• Rivalry week is intact, except for Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and Kentucky, who won’t be playing their in-state ACC foes. I solved that by having these four teams play each other. You’ll see in a bit how fun this will be.
• I did my best to space out home and road games reasonably. It isn’t unheard of for an SEC team to have three straight home or away games, but I did try to avoid it as much as I can. The only team I truly believe got screwed was Tennessee, who finishes with three straight road games. While it seems unfair, remember that these games will likely be in empty stadiums where opposing fans can’t make life as miserable as normal. Also the last road game is Vandy, so how bad can it be?
• I created an 11-week season where every team gets one bye week. SI reports the season will start Sept. 26 and the SEC Championship will be played on Dec. 19. There are 12 weeks between those dates, so that extra week will likely be saved in case of an outbreak and a game or two needs to be rescheduled.

Week 1: Sept. 26

Ole Miss at LSU

Georgia at Alabama

Florida at Tennessee

Arkansas at Texas A&M*

Auburn at Mississippi State

Vanderbilt at Kentucky

Missouri at South Carolina

Takeaways: If we’re starting the season late, then we’ve gotta make it up by starting with some BANGERS. Obviously Georgia at Bama is one of the marquee games of the season, and it was already the first conference game on the schedule for both teams, so this isn’t a massive change. I love the idea of LSU opening its title defense against Lane Kiffin in his first game at Ole Miss. That’s too juicy. The Gators and Vols playing in September is pretty standard, but feels even more exciting in Week 1. Auburn was the only team in the SEC to slow down LSU’s all-time great offense last year, and now they get to be the first ones to take a crack at Mike Leach in the SEC. Overall, these matchups will make people excited for football again.

*A&M AD Ross Bjork has already confirmed that the A&M-ARK matchup will not be at JerrahWorld in Dallas and will be an A&M home game

Week 2: Oct. 3

LSU at Auburn

Alabama at Ole Miss

Texas A&M at Mississippi State

Tennessee at Arkansas

Kentucky at Florida

Georgia at Missouri

South Carolina at Vanderbilt

Takeaways: More heat! The idea of LSU playing on the Plains in late November didn’t sound right to me, so I moved it back here where it rightfully belongs. As if Lane Kiffin opening on the road against the defending champs wasn’t enough, his home opener is against Alabama. God this is fun.

Week 3: Oct. 10

Mississippi State at LSU

Vanderbilt at Alabama

Ole Miss at Tennessee

Texas A&M at Auburn

Arkansas at Georgia

South Carolina at Florida

Kentucky at Missouri

Takeaways: The thing that pains me the most about using 2021 and 2022 cross-divisional games is that Lane Kiffin makes his return to Rocky Top with no fans in the stands. That’s extremely disappointing. Georgia is the only team unlucky enough to have to wait three weeks for a home game, but once they are home they get Arkansas, so that should be a fair trade.

Week 4: Oct. 17

LSU at Florida

Alabama at Arkansas

Auburn at Ole Miss

Vanderbilt at Texas A&M

Missouri at Mississippi State

Georgia at South Carolina

Byes: Kentucky, Tennessee

Takeaways: LSU-Florida is a massive game. That’s definitely the marquee matchup here. Auburn at Ole Miss is also awfully intriguing.

Week 5: Oct. 24

LSU at Kentucky

Alabama at Tennessee

Auburn at South Carolina

Arkansas at Mississippi State

Florida at Vanderbilt

Texas A&M at Missouri

Byes: Ole Miss, Georgia

Takeaways: Before Alabama and Tennessee fans come at me with their pitchforks for making them play on the fourth Saturday in October instead of the third, I’ll point out that this is the exact same date they played on in 2015. So knock it off.

Week 6: Oct. 31

Tennessee at LSU

Mississippi State at Alabama

Kentucky at Auburn

Florida at Ole Miss

Vanderbilt at Georgia

Texas A&M at South Carolina

Byes: Arkansas, Missouri

Takeaways: Yes yes yes YES LSU GETS A HOME GAME ON HALLOWEEN! I know some of y’all think we should be playing Ole Miss, and there’s a chance that’s what the actual SEC will decide, but I think playing anyone will be fun. Florida at Ole Miss also promises to be an incredibly interesting game. That one is already on the schedule so we’ll get to see it at some point.

Week 7: Nov. 7

Ole Miss at Vanderbilt

Auburn at Georgia

South Carolina at Arkansas

Missouri at Florida

Kentucky at Tennessee

Byes: LSU, Alabama, Miss State, TAMU

Takeaways: So the Auburn-Georgia game is still earlier than its traditional mid-November date, but still in a spot that feels more natural than the second or third SEC game.

Week 8: Nov. 14

Alabama at LSU

Ole Miss at Arkansas

Missouri at Tennessee

Mississippi State at Vanderbilt

Georgia at Kentucky

Florida at Texas A&M

Byes: Auburn, South Carolina

Takeaways: Man, an LSU-Alabama game in an empty Tiger Stadium is depressing... ugh, I don’t want to think about it. Next!

Week 9: Nov. 21

LSU at Arkansas

Texas A&M at Alabama

Kentucky at Ole Miss

Georgia at Mississippi State

Missouri at Auburn

Tennessee at South Carolina

Byes: Vanderbilt, Florida

Takeaways: Vandy and Florida get stuck with super late bye weeks, but the Gators will be thankful once they see their last two opponents. Also Texas A&M gets a break by having an extra week between their games against Alabama and LSU, something the pre-COVID schedule didn’t offer.

Week 10: Nov. 28

South Carolina at LSU

Alabama at Florida

Ole Miss at Texas A&M

Arkansas at Auburn

Mississippi State at Kentucky

Tennessee at Georgia

Vanderbilt at Missouri

Takeaways: Something I didn’t consider until now is the Egg Bowl’s newfound Thanksgiving tradition. Do they play it this week instead of Rivalry Week? Or do they suck it up and just play on the last Saturday like everyone else? That will be something to watch when the actual schedule comes out.

Week 11: Dec. 5

LSU at Texas A&M

Auburn at Alabama

Florida at Georgia (Jacksonville)

Mississippi State at Ole Miss

Arkansas at Missouri (in Kansas City)

South Carolina at Kentucky

Tennessee at Vanderbilt

Takeaways: Y’ALL! Can you imagine The World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party the Florida-Georgia game being played on the final week of the season, likely a de facto SEC East Championship Game??? That’s awesome! Kentucky and South Carolina get stuck together since they also lost ACC rivalry games, and everything else here is intact. Now let’s look at each individual team’s schedules and look at the trends.

LSU

9/26: Ole Miss

10/3: @Auburn

10/10: Mississippi State

10/17: @Florida

10/24: @Kentucky

10/31: Tennessee

11/7: Bye

11/14: Alabama

11/21: @Arkansas

11/28: South Carolina

12/5: @Texas A&M

Takeaways: The two games added here are a trip to Kentucky and a home date with Tennessee. The last time LSU played those two teams in those stadiums two completely different types of chaos ensued, so this will be interesting.

ALABAMA

9/26: Georgia

10/3: @Ole Miss

10/10: Vanderbilt

10/17: @Arkansas

10/24: @Tennessee

10/31: Mississippi State

11/7 Bye

11/14: @LSU

11/21: Texas A&M

11/28: @Florida

12/5: Auburn

Takeaways: So yeah, if the SEC incorporates the 2021 and 2022 cross-schedules then Bama has to play Georgia and Florida in the same season. You just hate to see it.

OLE MISS:

9/26: @LSU

10/3: Alabama

10/10: @Tennessee

10/17: Auburn

10/24: Bye

10/31: Florida

11/7 @Vanderbilt

11/14 @Arkansas

11/21: Kentucky

11/28 @Texas A&M

12/5: Mississippi State

Takeaways: As stated earlier, the Egg Bowl-Thanksgiving agreement will be interesting to watch. Literally everything about this rivalry is interesting to watch these days.

TEXAS A&M

9/26: Arkansas

10/3: @Mississippi State

10/10 @Auburn

10/17: Vanderbilt

10/24: @Missouri

10/31: @South Carolina

11/7: Bye

11/14: Florida

11/21: @Alabama

11/28: Ole Miss

12/5: LSU

Takeaways: Remember how we all said Aggy was gonna have a good season simply because of a ridiculously easy schedule? The Gators are coming to town now and that makes things more interesting. A trip to CoMo isn’t a walk in the park either. Everything after the bye week would be a hell of a lot of fun.

AUBURN:

9/26: @Mississippi State

10/3: LSU

10/10: Texas A&M

10/17: @Ole Miss

10/24: @South Carolina

10/31: Kentucky

11/7: @Georgia

11/14: Bye

11/21: Missouri

11/28: Arkansas

12/5: @Alabama

Takeaways: Things are shaping up for Gus to save his job again. As funny as it is, Auburn ending the season with LSU and Bama back to back is just a headache for all involved. Their new games are at South Carolina and home against Mizzou, not too daunting. Their three real tough games are all pretty spaced out. I’d be all for this if I was an Auburn fan.

MISSISSIPPI STATE

9/26: Auburn

10/3: Texas A&M

10/10: @LSU

10/17: Missouri

10/24: Arkansas

10/31: @Alabama

11/7: Bye

11/14: @Vanderbilt

11/21: Georgia

11/28: @Kentucky

12/5: @Ole Miss

Takeaways: During the entire four to five hours I work on this schedule I completely forgot Mike Leach is State’s coach now. This year has been too goddamn much.

As for the schedule, it isn’t great. The home games are mostly front-loaded. They’re only at home once over the last six weeks, and it’s against Georgia. It’s a good thing Leach isn’t at risk of being fired this year. Well, he is but that‘s because of his Twitter account.

ARKANSAS:

9/26: @Texas A&M

10/3: Tennessee

10/10: @Georgia

10/17: Alabama

10/24: @Mississippi State

10/31: Bye

11/7: South Carolina

11/14: Ole Miss

11/21: LSU

11/28: @Auburn

12/5: @Missouri (in Kansas City)

Takeaways: Weird schedule, and they WERE gonna go to Notre Dame also! What’s going on here?

GEORGIA:

9/26: @Alabama

10/3: @Missouri

10/10: Arkansas

10/17: @South Carolina

10/24: Bye

10/31: Vanderbilt

11/7: Auburn

11/14: @Kentucky

11/21: @Miss State

11/28: Tennessee

12/5: Florida (in Jacksonville)

Takeaways: Georgia gets a tough break with only one home game in the first five weeks... but it’s the SEC East. How hard can it be? Tennessee and Florida in the last two weeks is the kind of epic finish we deserve to see after years of watching the Dawgs blow out Kentucky and Georgia Tech every November.

FLORIDA:

9/26: @Tennessee

10/3: Kentucky

10/10: South Carolina

10/17: LSU

10/24: @Vanderbilt

10/31: @Ole Miss

11/7: Missouri

11/14: @Texas A&M

11/21: Bye

11/28: Alabama

12/5: @Georgia (in Jacksonville)

Takeaways: They BETTER be thankful for that late bye week! This is one of the most fun schedules we’ve ever seen from a good SEC East team. This would be super fun to watch.

TENNESSEE:

9/26: Florida

10/3: @Arkansas

10/10: Ole Miss

10/17: Bye

10/24: Alabama

10/31: @LSU

11/7: Kentucky

11/14: Missouri

11/21: @South Carolina

11/28: @Georgia

12/5: @Vanderbilt

Takeaways: So yeah, I doubt the SEC would make a team play three straight road games to end the season, but if there are no fans are road games so bad? The Vols better hope there can be fans at the Vandy game because it’ll probably turn into a Tennessee home game.

KENTUCKY:

9/26: Vanderbilt

10/3: @Florida

10/10: @Missouri

10/17: Bye

10/24: LSU

10/31: @Auburn

11/7: @Tennessee

11/14: Georgia

11/21: @Ole Miss

11/28: Mississippi State

12/5: South Carolina

Takeaway: Getting LSU and Auburn from the cross-division is pretty brutal. Man, I’m gonna miss Lynn Bowden Jr.

VANDERBILT:

9/26: @Kentucky

10/3: South Carolina

10/10: @Alabama

10/17: @Texas A&M

10/24: Florida

10/31: @Georgia

11/7: Ole Miss

11/14: Mississippi State

11/21: Bye

11/28: @Missouri

12/5: Tennessee

Takeaways: I was about to mention that Vandy just can’t catch a break with this schedule, but I don’t know what a break would be for Vandy.

SOUTH CAROLINA:

9/26: Missouri

10/3: @Vanderbilt

10/10: @Florida

10/17: Georgia

10/24: Auburn

10/31: Texas A&M

11/7: @Arkansas

11/14: Bye

11/21: Tennessee

11/28: @LSU

12/5: @Kentucky

Takeaways: They got Clemson off the schedule! Now they only have to play... the only team that was better than Clemson last season. *angry Muschamp noises*

MISSOURI:

9/26: @South Carolina

10/3: Georgia

10/10: Kentucky

10/17: @Mississippi State

10/24: Texas A&M

10/31: Bye

11/7 @Florida

11/14: @Tennessee

11/21: @Auburn

11/28: Vanderbilt

12/5: Arkansas (in Kansas City)

Takeaways: Now that Missouri is only playing SEC games it’ll be easier for their coach to remember the conference he’s in.

So there’s the schedule! Making this was fun, but hard as hell. It always looked like I was just about to get it, then I realized Kentucky had four straight road games, or Ole Miss had two games on the same day.

Let me know in the comments what games or dates you would like to see change, or what ideas you really like.

Also as a reminder, LSU has won its most recent matchup with all 13 other SEC teams. Do not forget that, whatever you do.