By Micheal Germanese
The SEC is just different – The narrative its coaches, players, and media continues to push. The only problem is it’s not the dominant conference it once was. Every dynasty throughout history comes to an end and it will be no different for the SEC. The only question is when it happens, not if.
The SEC has been on top of college football for 20 years, winning 13 of the last 20 national championships. Of those 13 national championships, only five SEC teams played a part in winning them. Despite that fact, it hasn’t stopped the conference from making it sound like every SEC team is a national championship contender. Is 2025 going to be the year the “SEC is different” narrative ends? And how did they keep it up for so long?
SEC Privilege
Being seen as the dominant conference brings privileges that other conferences just don’t get. SEC teams are allowed to lose games while others face the expectation of perfection. The conference still tries to contest that a three-loss Alabama should have made the playoffs over a one-loss Indiana. The SEC continues to say it even after Alabama lost to a 7-5 Michigan team missing their best players.
The SEC privilege of an eight-game conference schedule allows most teams to book at least three winnable games. That’s unless you’re Vanderbilt and lose to Georgia State 36-32 or Auburn in 2023 who paid over a million dollars to lose to New Mexico State 31-10.
The 2025 season will be no different. Texas opens the season against Ohio State, but faces San Jose State, UTEP, and Sam Houston in their next three games. Ole Miss has a gauntlet of a schedule featuring Georgia State, Tulane, Washington State and The Citadel. Vanderbilt starting QB Diego Pavia should pad his stats on his way to a Heisman and national championship against Charleston Southern, Georgia State, and Utah State. In total, the SEC will play 47 non-Power Four teams in 2025. In comparison, the Big Ten – with 18 conference teams – plays only 41.
NEW: Vandy QB Diego Pavia eviscerates the Big Ten:
“You want to play with the best – you don’t want to play with the Big Ten. … You ignore those calls.
…the SEC, it’s like week after week. You’re going to get beat on. The Big Ten, you’re not gonna get beat on with the… pic.twitter.com/BGUcC7lwac
— On3 (@On3sports) June 17, 2025
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Has NIL levelled the playing field?
It’s been two decades of the SEC’s top teams having some of the most talented teams year after year. They have stacked recruiting class after recruiting class giving them the advantage of having their next starter waiting in the wings. Players continually choose SEC teams despite knowing they would see little to no playing time until their third or fourth year. And even when they could play right away at other top programs, they still went the way of the SEC.
What was the advantage the SEC had over other top conferences? Could it have been the “If you’re not cheating, you’re not trying” mentality? Was the SEC using other avenues to entice players to commit? Could the reason why the SEC is losing its dominance be that Name Image and Likeness levelled the playing field in acquiring top talent? The one thing the Big Ten is better at than the SEC is making money, and NIL is the reason why more Big Ten teams are competitive
Put Up or Shut Up Time
Last season the SEC finished the year off going 8-7 in bowl games, highlighted by Tennessee being embarrassed 42-17 by Ohio State. Oklahoma beat Alabama in the regular season only to lose 21-20 to Navy. Ohio State did it again to the SEC beating Texas in the CFP semifinals 28-14. Overall the Big Ten finished 5-1 against the SEC in bowl games.
Michigan just played without 4 first round picks and a starting safety on defense. Played without their top 2 RB’s. Played without their first round draft pick at TE. Bama was allegedly a playoff team. LOL. THAT WAS COMICAL.
— Jordan Strack (@JordanStrack) December 31, 2024
The 2025 season is the time for the SEC to stop talking and prove it on the field. The SEC will have early opportunities to prove themselves right with a few big games. Week 1 has Alabama heading to Florida State. Kalen Deboer has a lot to prove after going 9-4 in Year 1 with the Crimson Tide. LSU plays ACC favorite Clemson and Texas faces Ohio State in what could be the national championship preview.
Week 2 has Michigan travelling to Norman to face Oklahoma. Both had bad years and will want to make a statement. Then on Sept. 13, Wisconsin plays Alabama and Texas A&M plays Notre Dame. When it comes down to it, if the Big Ten can go back-to-back with national championships the SEC will have no choice but to stop with the “SEC is just different” talk moving forward.
