The collective howl from SEC fans after my article claiming the Big 10 was the best conference could be heard from Tuscaloosa to Baton Rouge, yet this is a perfect example of “the truth hurts”. Though I encountered a great deal of complaints and vitriol in the comment sections of various social media platforms, it did not sway my opinion. The reason is simple, my position is not based on loyalty to a conference or some type of belief that the status of the best league is bestowed from up on high as many SEC fans hold as truth. Instead, it is based on simple things called facts.
They Live in the Past
No one said the SEC is not a great conference or does not have a proud history. Certainly, their many championships, All-Americans, and numerous awards and accolades are indicative of a truly powerful conference. One could also make a logical argument that they are the best football conference of all time, and can certainly lay claim to that title for the better part of the last two decades as Saturdays Down South maintains. However, that is not what we are talking about. We are talking about the present. And in 2024, the state of their conference as compared to the Big 10 falls short.
Let’s Start With the Obvious
For years, SEC fans felt that their conference was so tough that multiple if not all spots in the College Football Playoffs should be reserved for them. Some have even argued that the SEC Championship was in fact the true national title game. However, last year the SEC failed to get a team into the final. Not only that, the two teams that were in that final, Michigan and Washington, are both members of the Big 10. It is this reality that led to one of my favorite arguments from one of the SEC faithful. In obvious anger, a fan commented that the SEC would “blow the Big 10 away” if they were to play in a tournament. Maybe this fan did not get the memo, they had a tournament, it was called the College Football Playoffs. You lost.
They Are Not As Good From Top To Bottom
Another argument that was used quite extensively against my article was that Alabama and Georgia had dominated in national titles. While this is true, it is also indicative of one of their problems, and that is that the SEC has become increasingly top-heavy. Yes, Alabama and Georgia have been in the mix for national titles every year, but remember, two teams do not make a conference.
The problem the SEC has after the Crimson Tide, the Bulldogs, and LSU, is that the teams quickly go from average to outright bad. Auburn, Tennessee, Florida, Arkansas, and South Carolina, teams that were once traditional powers have been mired in mediocrity for years. So while everyone was blinded by the success of Alabama and Georgia, this problem continued to fester and has now been going on for so long that the lack of success of these teams cannot just be chalked up to a simple bad season. In addition, Vanderbilt and Kentucky, though maybe occasionally having decent teams, generally serve as the conference punching bags.
The Big 10 is Deeper
Without a doubt, Michigan and Ohio State have been the class of the Big 10, but unlike the SEC, once you get beyond those top two teams the rest of the league is not living on past glory. Penn State, Wisconsin, and Iowa have shown more consistency and have been playing better ball. Yes, Ole Miss and Missouri have been pleasant surprises, yet Tennessee, Auburn, Florida, Arkansas, Mississippi State, Texas A&M, and South Carolina have given no real indication that they are ready to move up the charts.
Additions Go In Favor of the Big 10
Another of my favorite complaints that I received after I published my article was that Texas and Oklahoma would add strength to the SEC that the Big 10 could not match. Adding Texas and Oklahoma will certainly compliment the SEC, but the Big 10 is adding four teams, including Washington, Oregon, and USC. While admittedly the fourth school, UCLA, has not been a power, they do add another component being from the LA market, and this will bring in revenue that will strengthen both conference and NIL money.
The SEC Late Season Body Bag Games Hurt Their Claim
Maybe the biggest complaint I received was in reference to my criticism of SEC scheduling. Sorry SEC fans, but an eight-game conference schedule which basically affords them an extra week off, does not hold water when compared with the brutal Big 10 end-of-the-year conference contests that they engage in. It is a tepid argument for conference toughness when many SEC schools are scheduling games against teams in which they can start their second and even third-string players and still blow out their competition, while the Big 10 is playing games that have both league and national title implications.
They Can Regain the Mantle
But it is not all doom and gloom for the SEC fans, there are measures that can be taken to regain the title of the toughest conference. First and foremost, move to a nine-game conference schedule and place your body bag games at the beginning rather than the end of the season. Schedule tougher non-conference games as LSU is doing with its opening day contest against USC in the Vegas Kickoff Classic this year. Finally, never enter the season expecting that the best conference moniker will automatically be bestowed upon you.