Auburn's Gus Malzahn changes tune on SEC scheduling model

In a change of heart, Gus Malzahn is -- somewhat surprisingly -- siding with his biggest rival.

After previously being staunchly against the SEC expanding its conference slate from eight games to nine games, Malzahn did an about-face on Thursday at SEC Media Days when he expressed his opinion that the league should add an additional conference game as a means of balancing the schedule across the SEC.

"I've changed my tune," Malzahn said, according to USA Today. "I think Nick (Saban) has been the only one for it. But nine, I'm to that point now. Nine I think is best for us moving forward to make the schedules more equal across the conference."

According to the report, Malzahn said he does not believe any coaches in the SEC, other than Saban at Alabama, hold the opinion that the conference should expand its schedule. As currently constructed, the SEC is one of only two Power Five conferences that maintain an eight-game league late, with the ACC being the other one. The Pac-12, Big 12 and Big Ten all play nine conference games annually.

If the SEC and ACC were to move to a nine-game format, it could create a more balanced playing field across the college football landscape, particularly when it comes to the College Football Playoff. Malzahn said he hasn't considered the bigger picture, according to the report, though he has addressed the issue in the past.

Back in January, while making an appearance on the Triple Threat radio show in Houston, Malzahn expressed his belief that the CFP should expand from four teams to eight teams. In doing so, he acknowledged, it would require uniformity in scheduling nationwide. That would mean eliminating FCS games and requiring every conference to play nine league games annually.

SEC commissioner Greg Sankey said on Monday that, following a year-long review back in 2014, the league's current 6-1-1 scheduling model was the "clear preference" among its members. The results of that format have been fruitful for the SEC, which was been the only league to have at least 10 teams qualify for bowl games in four consecutive seasons (2013-16), with nine bowl-eligible programs last season. As a result of that 2014 review, the league also mandated that its teams play a nonconference game against another Power Five program beginning in 2016.

While Sankey said he does not expect "any major change" in the SEC's approach to scheduling, Malzahn's change of tune on the subject is certainly noteworthy as he and Saban now stand on the same side of the issue.

"I've kind of done a 180, just recently," Malzahn said, according to USA Today, "(after) looking at our conference and everything that goes with it: East, West, two new teams added to the league. My big thing is for the equity within the conference, the strength of schedule and trying to be fair."

Tom Green is an Auburn beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Tomas_Verde.

from Auburn Sports Impact http://www.al.com/auburnfootball/index.ssf/2018/07/auburns_gus_malzahn_changes_tu.html