Vic Schaefer's claim that the SEC has a 'vendetta' against Texas doesn't hold up to scrutiny

Texas (No. 4, 18-1) coach Vic Schaefer was frustrated with his team after their undefeated start to the season came to an end Sunday with a 70-65 loss to LSU (No. 6, 16-2), but he was far more upset with the SEC. In a lengthy postgame screed, he accused the conference of having a "vendetta" against his program. 

Schaefer, who was particularly upset about Texas having to play LSU and South Carolina back-to-back on the road, said the schedule "really has a stench to it" and also criticized his athletic department for not making more of the issue. 

Here are Schaefer's full comments, which came in response to a question about navigating the SEC:

"Two weeks ago this team that we just played was No. 5 in the country, and it's a bear. They obviously have a vendetta against Texas, because not only have we started in the league, and I get to play South Carolina twice last year, this year I get LSU twice. Of 16 games -- there's 16 games this year -- I have to play South Carolina on the road this year, as well as LSU, I get 'em back-to-back in the same week. Make that make sense. The league is hard enough as it is, but then to bless me and my group with that, it really has a stench to it. The common denominator is LSU and South Carolina both played Georgia before they played me, and South Carolina was at home today. 

"I'm disappointed. I said that yesterday, I said it to TV. I'm really disappointed in the league for putting our kids in that position. But we play whoever's in front of us. And the answer to your question is you're right, it's a bear. It's one monster after another. It's what AAA baseball is to the Major Leagues. That's how I look at it. You have hall of fame coaches, you have future WNBA players, so it's hard. But that's what we all sign up for. That's what I signed up for. I obviously came from Mississippi State, so I was pretty used to the league and understood what it was. When you go to Texas you're not only signing up for the SEC, but you got Texas on your chest and everybody wants a piece of you. 

"It is what it is, but there's some things that bother me in regards to the schedule. But they don't call me and ask me about it. I just get it. Unless somebody from my university stands up and says, 'Hey, what in the hell is going on here?' Nobody does anything. And that's my frustration. It's been on my radar since [SEC] Spring Meetings, when the schedule came out. I saw it, and I waited for people that I thought should have stood up and said something. Nothing was said. I mean, we got people in the conference office that are just in charge of women's basketball. 

"You want to tell me that anybody else in our league gets both these teams back-to-back on the road? Cause they were both preseason No. 1, No. 2, No. 3. Both of them. They're preseason No. 3 -- 1, 2 or 3. But nobody did. I saw it, but I was hoping that somebody would, but it didn't get done, so this is what we've got. Like I told our kids all the time, it's us against the world a lot of times, and we have to embrace that."

First of all, Schaefer's claim that no other SEC team has to play LSU and South Carolina back-to-back on the road this season is incorrect. Missouri will do so in February when they play in Baton Rouge on Feb. 22 and in Columbia on Feb. 26. That's the exact same trip in the exact amount of time. Does the SEC have a "vendetta" against Missouri, who also had to play at Kentucky and at Vanderbilt in the span of five days earlier this month? 

Ole Miss also has to play LSU and South Carolina back-to-back this season in the span of four days, and while they do get the Tigers at home on Feb. 19, they then have to travel to Columbia to play the Gamecocks on Feb. 22. That trip is brutal. Just ask Georgia, who had to play LSU at home on Jan. 8 before playing South Carolina on the road on Jan. 11 and lost both games by more than 20 points. Oklahoma, meanwhile, will have LSU and South Carolina back-to-back with both games at home on Jan. 18 and Jan. 22. 

Including Texas, five out of the 14 other SEC teams (35.7%) have to play LSU and South Carolina back-to-back in some way this season, which hardly suggests a conspiracy against the Longhorns. 

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Besides, every draw is tough in a conference with nine teams ranked in the Top 25 and five of the top-seven teams: No. 2 South Carolina, No. 4 Texas, No. 5 Vanderbilt, No. 6 LSU, No. 7 Kentucky, No. 13 Oklahoma, No. 16 Ole Miss, No. 20 Tennessee and No. 21 Alabama. Even the unranked teams are competitive. There is not a single team in the SEC with a losing record overall.  

Looking only at road back-to-backs, here are some of the other trips teams have to make this season:

Vanderbilt

• at No. 2 South Carolina (Jan. 25) and at No. 16 Ole Miss (Jan. 29)

Tennessee

• at No. 13 Oklahoma (Feb. 22) and at No. 6 LSU (Feb. 26)

Oklahoma

• at No. 4 Texas (Feb. 1) and at No. 5 Vanderbilt (Feb. 9)

As Schaefer correctly pointed out, the SEC is "a bear" with "one monster after another." Some teams might have a slightly more forgiving path, but there are no easy roads in the best conference in the country. 

Schaefer might be upset right now about having to play LSU and South Carolina back-to-back on the road, but if his team is on another deep NCAA Tournament run come March, don't be surprised if he credits that gauntlet for helping his team get there.