Auburn football: Ranking the top 3 SEC realignment scenarios

#1 best scenario for SEC realignment: SEC West (Texas, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Arkansas, LSU, Mizzou, Ole Miss, Mississippi State football), SEC East (Vanderbilt, Tennessee, Kentucky, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Auburn football)

In this scenario, Auburn now shares a division with their two greatest rivals in Alabama and Georgia. It adds marquee matchups against Florida and Tennessee while adding winnable games against perenail also-rans lie Vanderbilt, South Carolina, and Kentucky (who are admittedly on the up and up under Mark Stoops).

This arrangement draws a georgraphical line in the sand that makes the Tigers the only team with that mascot in their division. From an actual on-field perspective, it pits them against only two teams that reeled in a top 10 2021 this past spring and 2022 recruiting class so far. Four top-10 2021 recruiting classes and three top-10 2022 recruiting classes would reside in the West.

Ultimately, this would lessen the rivalry Auburn and LSU share and unfortunately rob fans of trips to the Bayou. That’s undoubtedly the biggest loss in this scenario.

The wins outweight that, though. Taking two out of three games against Alabama, Georgia, and Florida each year would give Auburn football an outside chance at the CFP, which would presumably gain at-large bids instead of having four guaranteed spots for SEC schools.