It’s been said as nauseam but there needs to be the ability to flex the schedule. Why is is set in stone at the beginning of the year when so many things can change?
It would have to be completely in conference flexing - if you flexed a Big 12 game to ESPN2 in the place of an SEC game, then you'd have another issue. Maybe schools don't want ESPN to have that ability so they don't risk getting bumped off linear TV. Remember when someone is flexed for more visibility, someone is flexed for less.
I'm also assuming all schools have to be on Plus a certain number of times, so for KU and Baylor, the two favorites coming into the year, they just picked the worst projected games coming into the season.
Flexing already exists between ESPN's linear networks for different in conference games, but it is set before the season.