The SEC-Big Ten back-and-forth took another turn this week, and this time the shot came right back on the sender.
Tuesday’s release of the USA Today Preseason Coaches Poll gave the first real look at how the country’s top teams stack up before kickoff. The SEC landed nine teams in the Top 25, with the Big Ten close behind at eight. That was enough for SEC Network host Peter Burns to jump into the conversation with a pointed claim about schedule strength.
Burns posted that nine SEC schools will play at least five of the Top 25 teams in the coaches poll, while “Not a single Big 10 team plays 5.”
That didn’t hold up for long.
A community note attached to his post pointed out that seven Big Ten teams in the Top 25 will face other Top 25 teams this season. Michigan and Ohio State are each set to play six ranked opponents. So the point Burns was trying to make didn’t just miss - it missed badly.
Indiana is one of the Big Ten teams with a demanding slate. The Hoosiers are scheduled to play four ranked teams from the USA Today preseason poll: No.
1 Ohio State, No. 14 USC, No.
16 Michigan, and No. 19 Washington.
Indiana gets Ohio State and USC at home, while the trips to Michigan and Washington are on the road.
The exchange only adds to the larger argument that has been building between the two conferences. While the chatter keeps coming, the Big Ten has had the stronger answers on the field.
The league has won the last three national titles, with three different programs doing it. It has also beaten SEC teams four times in four College Football Playoff meetings over the last three years.
The Big Ten’s overall CFP record in that stretch is 13-5, and it went 3-1 against SEC teams in last season’s postseason. The SEC, meanwhile, finished postseason play at 5-0.
For Indiana fans, the 2026 Rose Bowl remains the loudest reminder of all, when the Hoosiers rolled Alabama 38-3.
And heading into this season, the Big Ten again looks built to stay in the hunt. Indiana, Oregon, and Ohio State are already sitting among the preseason national title favorites.
In Other News...
Purdues New AD Is Already Walking Back His Indiana Shot
Tommy McClelland has not been in the Purdue athletic director chair for long, but he is already trying to put distance between himself and an ill-timed jab at Indiana football. Speaking on two podcasts, McClelland said his earlier remark was an off-the-cuff joke that missed the mark, acknowledging it was misguided and expressing regret that it turned into a distraction instead of staying in the realm of rivalry banter.
The timing only made the comment look worse, given that McClelland also said he knew Indiana was the reigning national champion and had attended the Hoosiers' title game. For a cross-state audience that lives and breathes the rivalry, the cleanup matters because it shows how quickly a throwaway line can become a defining part of a new administrators introduction. [Read more 🡒]
Indianas Pass Rush Battle Just Got A Lot More Intense
Indianas defensive front already had the look of a strength heading into the next season, and the group got another notable boost after a U.S. District Court judge granted an additional year of eligibility to certain athletes. That ruling opened the door for EDGE rusher Kellan Wyatt to return, and Indiana has now officially added him back to the roster as it continues to build out a deep pass-rush rotation with returning players and transfer help.
Wyatts return matters because the Hoosiers were already preparing to lean on a crowded and competitive line room, and another experienced body only sharpens that battle for snaps. He was part of the mix before his injury cut his season short a year ago, and now Indiana can sort through an even more intriguing group as it gets closer to the 2026 campaign. [Read more 🡒]
Indiana's Loaded Defensive Front Just Created A New Problem For Bryant Haines
Indianas defensive front got a boost this week when Stephen Daley and Kellan Wyatt were cleared for a fifth season and signaled theyre coming back to Bloomington. Both edge rushers were significant pieces before season-ending injuries in 2025, and their return gives the Hoosiers another layer of experience and athleticism as they start shaping the 2026 defense.
For Bryant Haines, though, the good news comes with an obvious complication. Indiana already had reason to feel good about the group up front, and now the challenge shifts to fitting everybody into the mix without wasting anyones best traits. The staff can afford to be creative with how it uses its front, but the bigger question is how to keep the rotation balanced when more proven bodies are suddenly back in the picture. [Read more 🡒]