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B1G vs. SEC: Top-Heavy or Balanced? Which IS Better?

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Recently the entertaining SEC propagandist, Paul Finebaum, asserted that the SEC is still the best conference, “top-to-bottom.” I’ve heard of over-the-top exaggeration before in college football, but he says it with a straight face despite how the B1G has won the last two national championships, and how the SEC was not even in the Championship games of 2023 and...

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Recently the entertaining SEC propagandist, Paul Finebaum, asserted that the SEC is still the best conference, “top-to-bottom.” I’ve heard of...

 

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In the pondering for this article....I completely changed my views.  For the reasons in the articles--I want a Top-Heavy conference, and never thought I'd feel that way.

 

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Mr. FishDuck

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Nobody knew how hard NIL and the transfer portal was going to hit Paul Finebaum, the poor guy has been knocked for a loop. Saban saw what was coming and got out. Finebaum stayed, and along with Herbie, is stuck. The SEC is not elite any longer.

 

"The B1G might have won the last two championships, but top to bottom, we're better!" So, what. Your 11th week Mercer game is going to look really bad from now on. Vandy beat 'Bama, so did Oklahoma. If an SEC team does win the Natty in the next couple years it won't mean the whole conference is fantastic. 

 

Ohio State, Oregon, Penn State, Michigan aren't going anywhere. They'll be right there. Indiana, Washington, USC, Illinois, could all have strong seasons. The SEC Top Heavies carried the conference for a long time. The B1G can do that too. 

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I am also a go for top heavy as long as the Ducks stay in that elite group. Otherwise I guess it doesn’t matter to me.

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Thank you, Charles, terrific issue to ponder as the Power 2 leaves all other conferences in the dust and the dough.

 

Here's a preseason ranking of the SEC from Saturday Blitz. 

 

My first look at schedules will be B1G with the SEC schedules to follow, if OK with Charles.

 

The SEC for some reason is repeating the 2024 in-conference schedules with only a change in venue. And expecting a different result? 😜

 

Wasn't Greg Sankey once considered to be the brightest bulb in the circuit?

 

 

SATURDAYBLITZ.COM

The 2024 college football season is in the books, but in the SEC, there’s never really an offseason. Between coaching changes, the transfer portal, and highly

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Top Heavy wins National championships. 

 

Balanced is far more fun to watch from a strictly chaos standout. This is the Old Pac-12, a super fun conference to watch. Unless that is you have National Championship aspirations in which that probably isn't happening from a balanced conference. But still... fun to watch! 

 

I think I watched more SEC games this last season than I ever had because of the chaos. The chaos is super fun and I enjoyed it...

 

I just don't want negative chaos around my Ducks. I want my Ducks to WIN without drama! 

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On 1/31/2025 at 11:43 AM, David Marsh said:

Balanced is far more fun to watch from a strictly chaos standout. This is the Old Pac-12, a super fun conference to watch.

Boy isn't that the truth.  I would not want to be in a top-heavy conference if I was not one of the heavyweights, but fortunately--we are.

 

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Mr. FishDuck

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On 1/31/2025 at 12:37 PM, Charles Fischer said:

Boy isn't that the truth.  I would not want to be in a top-heavy conference if I was not one of the heavyweights, but fortunately--we are.

 

You mean you DON'T want to be a Beaver fan? 

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Different sport but ...

 

The B1G has not won an NCAA Basketball Championship since 2000. (Maryland won in 2002 when it was a member of the ACC.)

 

So, is the B1G better now when it is so hard to win a conference game on the road? Or was it better when Indiana and Bob Knight were kicking booty? When Bob Knight was on an Ohio State team full of future NBA All-Stars and won titles?  When Michigan won the title in 1989 and competed for a title with the Fab 4?

 

I'll take a top-heavy basketball conference all day long and Charles is spot on when it comes to football. 

 

Half or more of the SEC conference football teams were ranked in 2024. To what avail? 

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I think there are three tiers in college football as a whole but also in conference. Power Four conferences and more exclusively the P2 first and second tiers can win a title in various ways. Group of five tier one programs are at the level of P4 second tiers. They can win but it's going to take a path like Penn State, Boise or ASU got.

 

The criteria for top tier has changed somewhat because it's not all about geography. The running myth was that northern teams were slow, particularly the B1G. Big 12 and PAC teams were considered soft. ACC was considered FSU, Clemson and Miami thrown into a basketball league.

 

I think the three things that determine your status today are as follows and this is just my opinion.

 

1.) The Brand: To me this is a combination of history, how they draw on television and an automatic inclusion in just about every top prospects recruiting top 10. Also they generally get the benefit of the doubt in polls and playoff consideration. For example a Texas, USC, Miami are always looked at as being back without the evidence needed to really say that. Meanwhile an Indiana is looked at as a fluke despite what they did.

 

2.) The Money 🤑: What can the program offer top prospects. What's the budget for coaching and specialists. What do the facilities look like. How involved and aggressive are top donors.

 

3.) NFL Prep: Most top guys have the ultimate goal of going pro. Making it in the league and to their second contract. To me that kind of ties into number two but occasionally a talented offensive lineman may go to an Iowa over an Ohio State or Oregon because Iowa pumps out develops lineman like a factory.

 

With that said and back to the topic of this thread I'd put top tier teams as such.

 

B1G: Penn State, Oregon, USC, Michigan, Ohio State. 

 

SEC: Alabama, Georgia, Texas, Texas A&M, Florida, Tennessee, Auburn.

 

The programs that just fell below but could be considered are Nebraska, Washington and maybe Ole Miss.

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FanDuel Odds to Win the B1G, SEC, and ACC in 2025. The author likes Penn State in the B1G. He is concerned about the number of starters OBD has to replace. 

 

He's following the crowd as is FanDuel with liking Texas in the SEC. Texas has the same easy in-conference schedule in 2025 but it does include a visit to Athens, Georgia.

 

With a repeat of the 2024 in-conference schedules, SEC teams at the top of the conference are again likely to beat up on one another and get beat up by 'lesser' SEC teams. It's doing the same thing over but we are likely to hear the same whining coming out of Dixie.

 

The Texas at Ohio State opener featuring new QBs Archie Manning and Julian Sayin should be a heck of an opening game. 

 

Dabo and a roster that returns many key players is favored over Miami. Two tough OOC games for Dabo, opening with LSU at home and ending with a game at South Carolina. 

 

Clemson and Miami do not meet for the 2nd year in a row in the regular season. Like Clemson, Miami has two tough OOC games hosting Notre Dame and Florida. And FSU opens at home vs. Bama.

 

 

WWW.SATURDAYDOWNSOUTH.COM

Taking a look at the current odds to win conference championships in the SEC, the Big Ten, and the ACC in the 2025 season.
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I think it depends on how deep “the top” is. 2 teams? Not so much? 4 or 5? I think yes.

Edited by JabbaNoBargain
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On 2/1/2025 at 11:59 AM, Jon Joseph said:

With a repeat of the 2024 in-conference schedules, SEC teams at the top of the conference are again likely to beat up on one another

But Texas again won't be in the "Beating each other up" group, while Georgia is a punching bag. 

 

If we consider FanDuel’s odds as representative of the best teams in the conference next year, take the top 6 and look at the schedules. Georgia faces 4 of the other 5 teams. Alabama plays 3 of the other 5 teams. Ole Miss, Tennessee, and LSU play 2 apiece. 

And then there’s Texas, which will face only 1

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On 2/1/2025 at 12:03 PM, JabbaNoBargain said:

I think it depends on how deep “the top” is. 2 teams? Not so much? 4 or 5? I think yes.

The B1G had four teams that finished in the top-ten with Indiana at No. 10.  Pretty cool...

 

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Mr. FishDuck

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Terrific take 30.

 

How did this scheduling work out for the SEC last season? Why should it be different in 2025?

 

Mizzou, again, has the easiest SEC in-conference schedule. Ole Miss also has an easy SEC schedule and plays Georgia State, Tulane, The Citadel, and Wazzu OCC with all games in Oxford. 

 

Like Texas, Ole Miss does have to trip to Athens this season with UGA looking for payback.  

 

Texas 2nd season in a row with a seat in 1st class and Oklahoma is again in the last row of coach next to the lavs. 

 

Texas opens at TOSU. Ohio State although ranked behind Texas in almost every top 25 preseason poll I have seen is a -3.5 home favorite. Oregon is ranked behind Penn State in most preseason polls but is -3.5 road favorite at Penn State. 

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On 2/1/2025 at 2:00 PM, Jon Joseph said:

Texas opens at TOSU. Ohio State although ranked behind Texas in almost every top 25 preseason poll I have seen is a -3.5 home favorite. Oregon is ranked behind Penn State in most preseason polls but is -3.5 road favorite at Penn State. 

Moore to Moore, thunder & lightning RB's, Oregon's secondary has their eyes right, -3.5 @ Penn State!

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