Why SEC breakaway talk picked up, outlooks for new coaches and more: Mailbag

Kelly Clarkson grew up in what is now semi-SEC territory — Burleson, Texas, part of the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex — so maybe the conference can invite her to sing at SEC media days.I’ll take a risk, take a chance, make a changeAnd break awayOr maybe she could play around with the lyrics to “Stronger” or “Miss Independent.” Whatever works. The SEC had Nate Bargatze a couple of years ago; it can afford Clarkson.We’ll delve into the SEC breakaway talk in this post-Destin mailbag, and also the SEC’s stance on the College Football Playoff, South Carolina’s prospects, Kirby Smart’s recruiting, and the outlook for the contenders and new coaches this season.But first, a little fun.Questions may have been lightly edited for length and clarity.Who would be the schools in your ideal version of an SEC football conference? Disclaimer: do not feel limited to schools currently in the conference. — Adam C.Your ideal conference makeup, those in the business say, is what it looked like when you were a teenager. So in my case, that’s the 12-team SEC, which to me … actually isn’t my ideal.South Carolina, yes, that’s an SEC school. Arkansas is a Southwest Conference school. So are Texas and Texas A&M. Oklahoma was Big 8/Big 12. And Missouri is a Big Ten school. Yes, I know the Big Ten has passed on several chances to add Mizzou, and the Southwest Conference doesn’t exist anymore. Mere technicalities.Let me go into Kevin Costner-in-Bull Durham speech mode. I believe in small conferences. I believe in geography. I believe in everyone playing each other once during the regular season. I believe that schools should be fairly like-minded in their own conference. They can have varying degrees of caring about a sport, but when it comes to football it should be somewhat like-minded. But I don’t believe the haves and have-nots should be separated. I believe in keeping Mississippi State and Vanderbilt in the same conference as Alabama and Georgia, because upsets and Cinderella stories are cool.Thus, my ideal, realignment-free SEC, at least for football: