It's easy to blame Sankey and the SEC (and rightfully so) for the AQ model but I think the real mastermind is the Big Ten. The SEC coaches probably think they may have better chance for CFP bids under the 5-11 model anyway. See what Ross Dellenger said: *** “Today, in response to the SEC considering the 5-plus-11 so seriously – which I think was a little bit unexpected from Big Ten territory – the Big Ten ADs did have a meeting earlier today, they had a call with commissioner Tony Petitti,” Dellenger said on The Paul Finebaum Show. “I think most of them feel that they would not support a 5-plus-11 format if the SEC remained at eight conference games because the Big Ten is at nine conference games. Basically, they might say the SEC gets one sort of pushover game, and if you’re in a model – 5-plus-11 with so many at-large [bids], 11 – every win and loss is even more important. And the Big Ten has now for weeks, if not months, been on the 4-4-2-2-1 format." *** The B10 will not approve the 5-11 model unless the SEC adopts the 9 game schedule. And the SEC won't adopt the 9 game schedule under the 5-11 unless the SOS factor becomes so significant that their 9-3 schools are safely in.