The SEC has always been known as the power conference, especially when it comes to college football. Nick Saban built the SEC up for years at both LSU and Alabama. For the last three seasons, though, the Big Ten has taken the College Football Playoff National Championship, thinking they have dethroned the big names in the South.
Well, of course, the Big Ten is going to believe that when Georgia head coach Kirby Smart goes and opens his mouth, saying they have done just that. The Big Ten has certainly made strides in the last few years to build the strength of the conference, but in no way have they dethroned the SEC.
Smart doesn't speak for the SEC, so he should stop making it sound like he does.
Kirby Smart tries to say the Big Ten has overtaken the SEC
The Georgia head coach joined The Next Round and spoke about how the Big Ten has performed well in recent years when it mattered most.
"I just think they have a more competitive conference," Smart said. "Like the top of their conference, there's more good teams. It used to be, eh, Ohio State's good. Michigan's good. Indiana's really good. Now they got Oregon. They have the ability to attract good players."
Yes, the Big Ten has some teams that have really taken steps forward, like Indiana, but they also gained four teams that historically have had success in the Pac-12, like Oregon. The Big Ten didn't make those teams great necessarily, but it is benefiting from their success.
The SEC has teams that have had success for years in the conference, like Alabama, Georgia, LSU, Florida, and others. Granted, some teams have had their struggles, but the SEC remains a conference not to be messed with.
Smart also tried to insinuate that the Big Ten has better coaches than the SEC, which is also just preposterous.
"I have so much respect for them. I'm like, 'Do they have better coaches than us?' That's what all of our coaches say. They're taking less talent, in theory, and doing more with it," Smart said.
Look, we are not sitting here saying the Big Ten is bad, but the SEC still remains at the top of the college football world. It is hard to play in the SEC every weekend, no matter where a team lands in the rankings. Having a team like Alabama on a schedule automatically makes it a tough game. When it comes to the Big Ten, they have a lot of teams that make conference play a lot easier.
So, Smart, you are a great coach, and Georgia is a great team in the SEC, but you don't speak for everyone else in the conference.
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