I'm actually ok with Alabama making the playoff despite the fact that they stunk up the place yesterday against Georgia. If teams risk losing a spot in the CFP as a result of a loss in a conference championship game, then it would become very tough to entice teams to participate. (I'd have no problem with the CCGs being eliminated but they generate too much money and interest for that to happen).
What does bother me is DeBoer's (and others) repeated insistence that the SEC is the "best conference in the country." In 2025/almost 2026, this is wishful thinking on his part. The last two national champs are from the Big Ten. The Big Ten dominated the SEC in postseason play last year. Three of the top 5 seeds in this year's CFP are from the Big Ten. The Big Ten schedules 9 conference games, not 8. The Big Ten teams don't fatten up on OOC patsies in November to give starters a rest and buy time for injured players to heal.
The Big Ten is currently and clearly the best conference in the country. We'll see further evidence of that in the CFP.
Yes it is. While the B1G is a beast at the top, the SEC is a deeper conference overall. After the top 3 (IU, OSU, Oregon and Georgia, Ole Miss, A&M), just look at the next handful of teams...
Big Ten: USC, Michigan, Iowa, Washington, Illinois
SEC: Alabama, Oklahoma, Vanderbilt, Texas, Tennessee
Yes it is. While the B1G is a beast at the top, the SEC is a deeper conference overall. After the top 3 (IU, OSU, Oregon and Georgia, Ole Miss, A&M), just look at the next handful of teams...
Big Ten: USC, Michigan, Iowa, Washington, Illinois
SEC: Alabama, Oklahoma, Vanderbilt, Texas, Tennessee
Agree. You can throw the top 3 from both conferences together and there’s a great deal of parity, but the SEC is certainly deeper from top to bottom.
@gthomas There's nothing impressive about that second bunch of SEC teams. All are over-rated. Half the league fired their coaches mid-season giving the rest of them cake walks.
@surjay I didn’t say those SEC teams are "impressive"--and yes, many are overrated--but, 4 thru 18, the SEC is better by any metric. But ... they don’t have three of the Top 5.
@gthomas we heard the same last year and the b1g dog walked them in the postseason.
SEC is all media hype.
@surjay Yes, the top of the B1G dog walked the top of the SEC last season, and it's probable it will happen again. But that does encompass the entire conference.
Look, I can't stand the SEC media bullshit--Finebaum and his ilk can go f*** a gator, a bulldog, or an elephant. But there are more teams in the SEC capable of taking down a highly-ranked squad. You think, for example, USC (Big Ten #4) would beat Bama, Texas, or Oklahoma? Doubtful.
@surjay Yes, the top of the B1G dog walked the top of the SEC last season, and it's probable it will happen again. But that does encompass the entire conference.
Look, I can't stand the SEC media bullshit--Finebaum and his ilk can go f*** a gator, a bulldog, or an elephant. But there are more teams in the SEC capable of taking down a highly-ranked squad. You think, for example, USC (Big Ten #4) would beat Bama, Texas, or Oklahoma? Doubtful.
Didn’t USC beat LSU last year?
The SEC is all hype.
@surjay Yes, the top of the B1G dog walked the top of the SEC last season, and it's probable it will happen again. But that does encompass the entire conference.
Look, I can't stand the SEC media bullshit--Finebaum and his ilk can go f*** a gator, a bulldog, or an elephant. But there are more teams in the SEC capable of taking down a highly-ranked squad. You think, for example, USC (Big Ten #4) would beat Bama, Texas, or Oklahoma? Doubtful.
Didn’t USC beat LSU last year?
The SEC is all hype.
They’ve won 13 or 14 of the last 20 college football national championships. If they’re all hype, it’s because they’ve been the dominant conference for most of the last two decades.
@jackskip23 pre nil/portal. The playing field has been leveled. B1G has won the past 2 titles. B1G dominated the sec in the postseason last year head-to-head. The past is the past.
@gthomas Yeah, I think USC, Illinois, Mich, Iowa would do just fine against that group. We saw it last year in fact. SEC inflated by beating a bunch of teams who quit who fired their coaches mid-season for being bad teams.
@jackskip23 pre nil/portal. The playing field has been leveled. B1G has won the past 2 titles. B1G dominated the sec in the postseason last year head-to-head. The past is the past.
One year really doesn’t wipe out two decades, but it’s a fun debate. They’re obviously deeper than the Big Ten, but the BT definitely looks better at the top.
@big-ryan….pretty sure SEC is moving to 9 game conference schedule next year.
College football became a different sport when NIL started. It’s not just the SEC paying players any longer. Their dominating run is over.
Isn't the debate over which conference is better this year?@jackskip23 pre nil/portal. The playing field has been leveled. B1G has won the past 2 titles. B1G dominated the sec in the postseason last year head-to-head. The past is the past.
One year really doesn’t wipe out two decades, but it’s a fun debate. Their obviously deeper than the Big Ten, but the BT definitely looks better at the top.
If so, who cares what happened two decades ago, one decade ago, etc.?
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