Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark said at media days that he believes there is more depth in his conference than any other.
ACC commissioner Jim Phillips said this week that there is not a more exciting collection of teams than in his conference.
Nebraska coach Matt Rhule took hyping up the Big Ten to another level on Wednesday when at media days he said this about his conference:
“Four teams from this league should get in the College Football Playoff every year,” Rhule said, without cracking a smile. “This is the best league. This is the NFL of college football.”
The Big 12, ACC and Big Ten have had their say. The SEC coaches and administrators certainly have a different view.
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'It Just Means More' is the motto of the SEC and in the case of national championships and NFL Draft picks, that's certainly the case.
No other conference has even been close by those metrics, so much so that the above statements by commissioners and coaches are almost laughable.
In the 2024 NFL Draft, SEC programs had 59 picks followed by the Pac-12 (43, a conference that is now disbanded), the Big Ten (42), ACC (41) and Big 12 (31). It’s far from a one-off.
The previous year Alabama and Georgia were tied at the top with 10 NFL Draft picks each. The SEC led with 62 picks followed by the Big Ten with a respectable 55 but then no other Power Five conference had more than 32 picks.
In 2022, Georgia (15) and LSU (10) led all programs with draft picks. Cincinnati had more than any other Power Five program. In each of the last five NFL Drafts, the SEC led in picks and in 2021 and 2020 the numbers were not even close.
Another measure? Nattys.
Prior to Michigan winning it all last season, SEC programs won the previous four. Georgia won back-to-back championships, the first team to do so since Alabama accomplished that feat in 2011-12.
Of the last 18 national titles, 14 have been won by SEC programs. The last time a (former) Pac-12 program won one was USC 20 years ago. Before the Wolverines beat Washington last college football season, Ohio State a decade ago was the last Big Ten team to win it. No ACC team other than Clemson has won it all since Florida State in 2013.
Along the way – and especially last season – there were some cracks shown in the SEC dominance, maybe a sign of things to come in the NIL and transfer portal eras or maybe a one-off as the SEC returns to crushing its foes.
Florida State smoked LSU to start the season. Utah manhandled Florida. North Carolina beat South Carolina by two touchdowns in that rivalry game. Texas went to Alabama and won by 10. Miami, hardly a world-killer last year, beat Texas A&M, 48-33.
Let’s not forget that Auburn was embarrassed at home by New Mexico State, 31-10, last season in an inexcusable performance. Alabama looked pedestrian in a 17-3 win over South Florida last season after mustering just a field goal in the first half. The Crimson Tide rallied and went to the playoff.
That Alabama team beat Georgia in the SEC Championship Game in what ended up as nearly a funeral scene for the Bulldogs, a crushing loss to stop them from trying to win three straight.
There are definitely other power players across college football. The heat has been turned way up on Ohio State coach Ryan Day, despite his immense success, after losing three-straight to Michigan.
The Big Ten is undoubtedly getting tougher with the additions of USC, Oregon, Washington and UCLA. The No. 1 prospect in the 2025 Rivals250, Julian Lewis, is committed to the Trojans, possibly the next superstar QB under Lincoln Riley. Auburn is trying desperately to flip him.
Certainly there have been hiccups for the SEC along the way but when legendary coach Nick Saban retired, Washington coach Kalen DeBoer couldn’t leave Seattle for Tuscaloosa fast enough to take the job. It was a no-brainer.
Missouri shut down Ohio State in the Sugar Bowl last season. Alabama, Georgia, Texas, Ole Miss and others are all national title contenders. Other SEC programs could easily be added to that list.
Turn on the TV on Saturdays and watch the SEC and then watch other conferences. In many instances it’s night and day. Trust your eyes.
And trust the numbers. In the SEC, it really does mean more.
