I posted this under 2026 B1G Info and predictions, but I believe this article deserves to be posted as a separate topic.

USA Today's Blake Toppmeyer excoriates SEC folk for blaming the Big Ten's recent success in football on the bottom of the SEC being so difficult compared to the B1G cellar dwellers.

Greg Sankey recently blamed the B1G's success on the ball not bouncing the SEC's way. Like the ball, the calls, and the PO Committee haven't gone the SEC's way?

How about Bama in the PO instead of undefeated, 13-0 FSU? How about Alabama being the only 3-loss team with a loss in the conference champ game to make the 2025-26 field, instead of a BYU team that suffered its second loss in its conference champ game? Bama lost both games to Big Ten opponents.

How about Herbie calling out Indiana, which lost on the road to Notre Dame, not being deserving of a spot in the 2024-25 PO field, a day before Ohio State pantsed Tennessee.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/2026/05/06/big-ten-rules-college-football-sec-big-excuse-kirby-smart/89928788007/?utm_source=usatoday-sports-strada&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=usatbasel

Again, I warn B1G fans against recency bias, and against the breast-beating It Just Means More hubris. What goes around, comes around.

Should Oregon win the 2026-27 title on January 25th in Las Vegas, I doubt that you will hear the audience shouting out - Big Ten, Big Ten, Big Ten!

In 2025, Missouri did not defeat a team that finished better than 6-6. Texas A&M won seven SEC games in a row, playing teams that did not finish better than 6-6, before losing its last two games, versus Texas on the road and a home loss to Miami. Bama lost to a terrible FSU team. Etc.

In 2025, six Big Ten teams won five or fewer games. The same number as the ACC, the B12, and the SEC.

Greg Sankey et al, Come On Men! BTW, Paul Finebaum agrees with Blake's take. 😁

Finebaum Gets Smart -

Paul Finebaum assigns 'blame' for Big Ten dominating college football

Thanks Jon,

You are so over the bullseye. The SEC can't stand being second fiddle. They have much to prove this year. I do not see any of their top contenders winning the title. It's just not going to happen (yes I am calling it very, very early). OBD also have much to prove. Though I don't want to see an undefeated regular season (it is way to difficult to run the table to a title), I DO want to see OBD put an L on Ohio State. I'd rather lose to the Fuskies and see OBD defeat Ohio State. Read that again.

I don't care about the rivalry. It's dead as far as I'm concerned until UW is elite enough to pay attention to. Defeating UW isn't the same as winning titles. Period. We need to see DL defeat the elite. Time and time again. They are our new rivals. Throw stones at me, crucify me-I don't care. The Fuskies are an afterthought. Not to mention, it will absolutely bury the SEC if OBD start beating Georgia, Bama and Texas on a regular basis.

9 hours ago, Mike West said:

Thanks Jon,

You are so over the bullseye. The SEC can't stand being second fiddle. They have much to prove this year. I do not see any of their top contenders winning the title. It's just not going to happen (yes I am calling it very, very early). OBD also have much to prove. Though I don't want to see an undefeated regular season (it is way to difficult to run the table to a title), I DO want to see OBD put an L on Ohio State. I'd rather lose to the Fuskies and see OBD defeat Ohio State. Read that again.

I don't care about the rivalry. It's dead as far as I'm concerned until UW is elite enough to pay attention to. Defeating UW isn't the same as winning titles. Period. We need to see DL defeat the elite. Time and time again. They are our new rivals. Throw stones at me, crucify me-I don't care. The Fuskies are an afterthought. Not to mention, it will absolutely bury the SEC if OBD start beating Georgia, Bama and Texas on a regular basis.

Thanks, Mike.

As the draft showed, there is still a lot of talent in Dixie. But will the SEC dominate the draft once eligible players on NIL-influenced rosters enter the draft?

In 2026, if all draft-eligible Oregon players entered the draft, that's six more draft picks for the B1G, at least. Other players, like the USC QB Maiava, would have come out if they were not receiving income from revenue sharing and NIL deals.

It's a very small sample size, but what about coaching in today's Big Ten compared to the SEC?

Total 2024-25 and 2025-26 PO records by conference: Big 12 0-2/ ACC 3-3

SEC - 5-8 with Kirby Smart 0-2 in the Sugar Bowl, A&M and Oklahoma 0-1 with home losses.

Alabama 1-1, with a win at Oklahoma and the worst loss in the Tide's postseason history coming against Indiana in the Rose Bowl.

Big Ten - 11-5 with Ryan Day 4-1 and a championship, Curt Cignetti 3-1 and a championship, James Franklin at Penn State 2-1, and Oregon's Dan Lanning 2-2, with the 2-losses coming against champion Ohio State and champion Indiana.

Bowl game victories have also turned in the direction of the middle of the Big Ten. According to the SEC's screwed-over PO teams, South Carolina, Alabama, and Vanderbilt lost bowl games to B1G teams, and last season, Illinois defeated Tennessee in Nashville.

The new coaches at Florida, Auburn, and Arkansas are from the G6. Kentucky and Mississippi's new head coaches have no regular-season head coaching experience. Lane Kiffin flipped to LSU.

Michigan State's Pat Fitzgerald, Michigan's Kyle Whittingham, and Penn State's Matt Campbell have, respectively, the most wins at Northwestern, Utah, and Iowa State.

In 16 seasons, UCLA's Bob Chesney went 132-52 (.717), took JMU to the playoffs, and to date, UCLA is ranked 4th in 2027 recruiting.

I'd also add that Tony Petitti and his 24-team PO proposal are no longer being ridiculed. The ACC, B12, and Notre Dame want to go to 24 teams; the SEC is the only holdout.

We made it to the airport, caught the last plane out, as we taxied down the runway, I could hear those Beavers shout ...🤬

😁😍🤣

My my Jon,

You add soooooo much to this forum. I can't stop laughing as you drill down further PLUS give us a hilarious take on the SEC narrative. And those "glorious" Beavers...who mind you had the most influential Prez while the PAC12 slid from glory down their self created sinkhole.

The only great tidbit of it all is Usuc thought they'd pour us down the sink with a mighty dose of Draino, only to discover that "Grass is pretty damn Green in Eugene". Yes the B1G is in control, but alas, trends are fleeting unless one maintains a sense of urgency.

Could we sneak in 4,5, or SIX teams in the playoffs? Penn State has an easy schedule, Michigan just needs to win 10, and if those Fuskies or Condoms get their act together-we could see six teams with 10 wins each.

Yes, it's possible, but it would take each of the elite teams and contenders to nail or escape certain elite teams (and contenders). If Oregon, Ohio State and Indiana lose the right games, it would elevate the entire group of contenders. In that scenario USC vs UW would determine the 6th team with at least 10 wins. I'm telling you it would twist the SEC in knots. How could they possibly say they are elite, much less contenders top to bottom?

I can fantasize another 4 months, can't I?

The SEC needs to update their slogan.

“It just meant more”.

Fixed.

CBS Sports looks at things post-spring down Dixie way -

https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/sec-overreactions-spring-2026-season-alabama-lsu-cfp/