SEC scheduling proposal

With all the excitement that the Oklahoma State game brought to Athens this past weekend, and with all of the excitement that similar games brought to other college towns across the country, I have a modest proposal for the SEC.

Reduce our league schedule from 8 to 7 games.

It's a radical idea, I know, but hear me out on this one.

We already have a conference championship game, so the league doesn't have the traditional problem associated with short conference schedules--conference championship ties.

Freeing teams from the 8th league game would allow each team in the conference to schedule another quality OOC opponent each year.  

7 and even 6 game SEC slates used to be common in our league--of course it was a 10 or 11 team league at the time, but the increase in size is offset by the conference championship.  So it is clear that reducing leage games is a return to our roots more than a radical change of course.

I know this would make trips to T-Town and Red Stick less common, but it would also mean fewer trips to Starkvegas and Fayetnam.  I, for one, would be willing to trade fewer trips to LSU for a trip to Lincoln, College Station, or State College.

Critics may argue that this would simply open the door for more Kent States--but that runs against the trend in the SEC.  Sure, SCU's still scheduling patsies, but UGA, Bama, Auburn, UT#2, and even the Mississippi schools have shown the balls to schedule quality teams from outside the SEC.

I think it's a worthy plan.  What do you think about it?