This week the College Football Playoff Committee Rankings were released. The SEC had four of the top six spots and placed six of their teams on the list of 25: Mississippi State (1); Auburn (3); Ole Miss (4); Alabama (6); Georgia (11); and LSU (19). The Big Ten only had three teams on the list of 25, with Michigan State placing the highest in the 8th spot, while Nebraska (15) and Ohio State (16) were the other Big Ten teams on the list.
Historically the SEC has a very good record against the Big Ten, 81-55-2, and an average score of 24.0 (SEC) to 21.4(Big Ten) for those games. In bowl games the SEC has fared even better against the Big Ten 44-26, with an average score of 26.2 (SEC) to 22.6 (Big Ten). The 2010s (14 -7) and the 1980s (17-5-1) were especially dominant for the SEC over the Big Ten.
The one area where the Big Ten holds an edge is in National Championships with 74 and the SEC having 60, although this number is somewhat dubious, as polls used to decide champions, which resulted in multiple National Champions per season.
Presently, the SEC is clearly a much better conference, but the question is: what will it take for the Big Ten to catch up, or will they? We would like to hear your comments via the button below.
A start would be to start hiring coaches away from the SEC, as well as paying assistants’ salaries comparable to what the SEC pays their assistants. The real weakness in the Big Ten is not Michigan State, Nebraska, or Ohio State, but the lack of talent after that. Penn State will improve now that sanctions are lifted, but wholesale changes are needed at Michigan and Illinois. Wisconsin needs to decide if it wants to compete on the big stage or not. Maryland and Rutgers are in their first year in the Big Ten; we will see how they do. The remainder of the Big Ten needs an upgrade in facilities, coaching, and recruiting.
Again, we would love to hear your comments via the button below.