2012 SEC Football Schedule: Missouri To Open SEC Play Hosting Georgia, According To Report

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The Dawgs could get the first chance at testing the SEC-worthiness of Columbia, Missouri and the Tigers on the 2012 SEC football schedule.

Dec 16, 2011 - The Missouri Tigers will begin their first season as a member of the Southeastern Conference by hosting the defending SEC Eastern Division Champion Georgia Bulldogs, according to a report from Eric Blumber of KOMU NBC TV. Blumberg also states that the league will release a full schedule next week.

Under the previous 12-team alignment, Georgia was originally scheduled to host Ole Miss and play at Alabama as their rotating SEC West opponents. Those opponents are now potentially off the Dawgs' schedule pending an official announcement, where it's expected the league will either modify its eight-game schedule or adopt a new, nine-game schedule:

If the SEC decides to play an eight game conference schedule, each team would play its six division opponents, plus one permanent opponent, plus one rotating cross-division opponent. Compared to the current format, this system adds a division opponent and subtracts a rotating cross-division opponent.
If the SEC decides to play a nine game conference schedule, each team would play its six division opponents, plus one permanent opponent, plus two rotating cross-division opponents. Compared to the current format, this system simply adds a division game to account for the two new members, but would restrict teams to three out-of-conference opponents instead of four.

There's a strong assumption Georgia would lose at least Ole Miss in the 2012 slate: PowerMizzou.com had previously reported that the Tigers' inaugural SEC schedule would include Georgia, Kentucky, Texas A&M and Vanderbilt at home, and Florida, Tennessee, Ole Miss and South Carolina on the road. Multiple outlets have reported and/or assumed that fellow newcomer Texas A&M will be Missouri's permanent cross-division opponent.

For more on the Georgia Bulldogs, visit Dawg Sports. For info on new SEC member Missouri, visit Rock M Nation. For everything college football, visit SB Nation's college football news hub.