SerpApi.Org
Tampa, Fla. — There weren’t many overt mentions of the Big Ten at SEC media days, but the subtext was all around at an event meant to prop up the conference where “It Just Means More.”
Before SEC commissioner Greg Sankey even took the podium Monday morning, Paul Finebaum could be overheard in the back of the room yelling on television: “You haven’t made the championship the last three years!”
You know who has? The Big Ten, whose teams won each of those titles, too.
Indiana — not Georgia, Alabama or Texas — was mentioned as a model some of the conference’s new coaches hope to follow.
The Hoosiers have historically been at the bottom of the Big Ten, much like the SEC has long sat on top of the sport. But now Indiana is the new archetype of success in the modern game after winning its first championship, and it’s the SEC that’s trying to play catch up — or threatening to take its ball and break away from the NCAA entirely.
The first step to addressing a problem is admitting that there is one. And the SEC, at least outwardly, is not keen on accepting its position in second place.
“We believe we're the best conference in college football,” Sankey said.
Recent results point to the contrary. The SEC went 3-4 against the Big Ten in 2025; the most consequential of those games was not even close. Indiana thrashed Alabama, 38-3, in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals.
Bowl games should be taken with more than a pinch of salt at this point, but Iowa bested Vanderbilt and Illinois took down Tennessee in games that were not marred by major opt-outs. Texas beat Michigan in the SEC’s only postseason triumph over the Big Ten.
The SEC fared better in the regular season, where Oklahoma defeated Michigan in a marquee game. Alabama also thrashed Wisconsin. But Texas lost to Ohio State in a deflating season opener.
Even back in 2024, the SEC went 4-6 against the Big Ten, ending a run of four consecutive seasons in which the SEC had a winning record against its neighbors up North.
These results reinforce the idea that the best of the Big Ten is better than the top of the SEC, but the SEC is deeper. That bears out in Athlon’s Top 138 rankings, where five Big Ten teams (Northwestern, Maryland, Rutgers, Michigan State and Purdue) slot in below the SEC’s worst (Arkansas). However, the Big Ten occupies the top spot (Ohio State) and three of the top six.
Sankey called the SEC schedule “the most demanding” in college football. And it’s hard to argue with that as it expands to nine conference games this season and requires members to play another power-conference opponent.
For all the jokes about the grind of the SEC schedule, there is something to the difficulty of winning on Saturdays in the South. Plenty of SEC teams have seen postseason hopes dashed by a shocking conference loss over the years. Texas at Florida in 2025. Alabama at Vanderbilt in 2024. The list goes on.
“Each and every week, you're not going to sneak up on anybody,” said Oklahoma coach Brent Venables.
The lone allusion to the Big Ten made national headlines when Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz referenced the difference between the conference’s scheduling requirements in light of the Big Ten’s success. His quote may have been taken out of context, but the sentiment still rings hollow considering the SEC’s recent record against its biggest rival.
The only thing that will change the prevailing narrative off the field is the outcome between the lines. The SEC has a handful of more chances to improve its standing against the Big Ten this fall. Ohio State has a return trip to Texas. Oklahoma also gets Michigan again, this time on the road. And Mississippi State kicks off a home-and-home with Minnesota.
More matchups between the conferences are sure to follow in the postseason. But until the SEC gets back to beating the Big Ten — and everyone else, for that matter — consistently in the College Football Playoff, the chase will continue.
Related: Greg Sankey Addresses SEC Breaking Away, Congress Bill and CFP Expansion at SEC Media Days
Related: Ranking College Football's 10 Conferences for the 2026 Season
