games, little travel outside of the SEC footprint (although LSU and Alabama have traveled from time to time), 7-8 home games....

By playing one less conference games, it reduces the number of possible losses by the top teams. If the SEC played 9 conference games this year, there is a good chance that Texas and Tennesss would have one more loss each, and Missouri, Ole Miss, South Carolina and Bama would be four loss teams.