SEC leaders argue 9-3 record is good enough for expanded College Football Playoff; do they have a point?

The 13-person selection committee has seldom been under such scrutiny before a season started

By Dennis Dodd May 30, 2024 at 10:32 am ET• 6 min read

DESTIN, Fla. -- A few years ago, a tight-knit, forward-thinking group of powerful athletic directors hatched a unique idea to upgrade their schedules. Texas, Georgia, Florida, Texas A&M, Alabama -- among others -- were all in on it.

If they didn't explain the reasoning, they were certainly thinking it: Anticipating an expanded College Football Playoff, they were going to make it next to impossible for the CFP Selection Committee to ignore them.

The plan was more brilliance than conspiracy.

"[We added] Ohio State, Michigan, Georgia, Florida, immediately on the schedule," Texas AD Chris Del Conte said Wednesday at the SEC Spring Meetings. "We went Big Ten, Big Ten, SEC, SEC solely based on trying to add value to the home ticket having no clue this was coming down the path."

He wasn't alone. Each of the next two seasons, Florida will play some of the toughest schedules in the history of the game. Each year features what can conservatively be projected to be eight ranked opponents.