.vresize.36.36.medium.0.png){kind=small}
.vresize.36.36.medium.0.png){kind=small}
Ranking the most favorable bye weeks on the SEC schedule in 2015
The SEC made a rule change this season affording their teams only one bye week on the schedule as opposed to two in previous seasons.
Saturday Down South recently discussed each team's bye week and assigned a winner or loser grade for each off week.
We'll go a step further here and rank the team's bye week from least desirable to the most, based upon where the bye lands on the schedule and the opponents already faced, as well as those yet to come.
14) Auburn Tigers - bye week six (Oct. 10), between vs. San Jose St and @ Kentucky
The Tigers get the short end on byes this season, as they will get a week off a game in which the starters will most likely only see a half of action regardless. Having two weeks off to prepare for the Wildcats shouldn't be necessary for Auburn and they follow that game up with four consecutive weeks of SEC games.
13) Ole Miss Rebels - bye week 11 (Nov. 11), between vs. Arkansas and vs. LSU
The Rebels will open the season with 10 consecutive games before getting a break in the schedule. If the Rebels can survive that stretch, they'll have only two games left and one of them will be on the road for the Egg Bowl. This schedule may prove to be the team's undoing in 2015.
12) Georgia Bulldogs - bye week eight (Oct. 24), between vs. Missouri and vs. Florida
The bye comes at a good point in the schedule for the Dawgs but follows three key games that will most likely determine their SEC fates in 2015: home for Alabama, at Tennessee and home for Missouri. A week off before any of those three would have been desirable. Although the Gators beat the Bulldogs a year ago, Georgia shouldn't need two weeks to prepare for them this season.
11) Vanderbilt Commodores - bye week six (Oct. 10), between @ MTSU and @ South Carolina
The Commodores will have the advantage of facing five East opponents following their bye week, but the placement of the bye won't do them any tremendous favors. Following a game no SEC team should lose and before facing one of the anticipated weaker teams in the conference, the bye week could have been used more effectively before Missouri, Florida or Tennessee.
10) Kentucky Wildcats - bye week six (Oct. 10), between vs. Eastern KY and vs. Auburn
The Wildcats should have a good idea of where they stand in the conference as they face Carolina, Florida and Missouri before the bye. Following their week off, the Cats will face off against five consecutive league teams, including three away games.
9) Missouri Tigers - bye week nine (Oct. 31), between @ Vanderbilt and vs. Miss State
The Tigers have a late bye week but they should be favored in nearly every game leading up to the bye. Mizzou will get to rest up before facing four toss up games, with Mississippi State and Tennessee at home, Arkansas on the road and BYU at Arrowhead Stadium.
8) Texas A&M Aggies - bye week six (Oct. 10), between vs. Miss State and vs. Alabama
The Aggies catch a huge break, as they will be catching the Tide after getting a week's worth of rest. With two SEC games and a neutral showdown against Arizona State before the bye, A&M should have a good idea how their team will perform heading into six SEC games in their final seven contests.
7) Florida Gators - bye week eight (Oct. 24), between @LSU and vs. Georgia
Unfortunately for the Gators, they play five consecutive SEC games before the bye but they get a week off before facing a crucial three game SEC stretch that could win them the division if they can sweep Georgia, Vanderbilt and @ South Carolina.
6) South Carolina Gamecocks - bye week eight (Oct. 24), between vs. Vandy and @ A&M
Spurrier's squad will either be eliminated by the bye with four toss up league games leading up to their off week or with a little luck be right in the race for the East. The bye comes before back-to-back road games against A&M and Tennessee, both teams look to be on the rebound in 2015 and the rest will be needed to defeat them both.
5) Mississippi State Bulldogs - bye week nine (Oct. 31), between vs. Kentucky and @ Missouri
The break comes late in the schedule if Hail State can win two of their three big early SEC games, at home against LSU and on the road against Auburn or A&M, the schedule breaks nicely for another run at the West title. Their last four games are brutal, at Mizzou, Alabama, at Arkansas and Ole Miss in the Egg Bowl, but at least they have the bye leading up to them.
4) LSU Tigers - bye week nine (Oct. 31), between vs. Western Ky and @ Alabama
If the Tigers rebound in a big way this season, they'll most likely head into the bye with their sights on the West championship. The Tigers will face all four non-conference games before the bye and get the huge bonus of facing Alabama following their bye.
3) Alabama Crimson Tide - bye week nine (Oct. 31), between vs. Tennessee and vs. LSU
Note a coincident that the Tide and Tigers share a bye week, as they both annually have the two of the more talented and physical teams in the nation. Both Les Miles and Nick Saban understand the importance of the game as the winner of this game decides the West more often than not in recent history. Bama's stretch leading up to the bye is brutal, thus a bye before facing off against LSU and on the road for Mississippi State and Auburn is all the more important.
2) Tennessee Volunteers - bye week seven (Oct. 17), between vs. Georgia and @ Alabama
The nation will know if the Vols are for real before their bye, as the face Oklahoma, Arkansas and Georgia at home and Florida on the road prior to their off week. More importantly, the Vols may need to prove something to themselves against Alabama and having two weeks to prepare will be extremely valuable for this young team. The Tide have outscored the Vols 201-59 the past five seasons. If Tennessee has turned a corner, they must be able to at the very least compete with their rival on the field.
1) Arkansas Razorbacks - bye week seven (Oct. 17), between @ Alabama and vs. Auburn
The bye lands directly in the center of the schedule for the Hogs this season and sandwhiced between arguably the two best teams they will face. If they win against Alabama, a week off to relax may be in order following the party that would likely ensue in Fayetteville. With five toss up league games following the bye, the Razorbacks could play their way into contention in the West. Not bad for a team coming off a 17-game conference losing streak only last November.
(h/t Saturday Down South)
