Nick Saban isn’t buying the idea that a few trophies automatically settle the debate over college football’s best conference.
On a recent edition of ESPN’s "Get Up," the seven-time national champion head coach and current ESPN College GameDay analyst pushed back on the notion that the Big Ten has overtaken the SEC simply because Michigan, Ohio State and Indiana have won national championships in the last three years.
"First of all, whoever wins a national championship doesn't define who has the best conference. I think the best conference gets defined by how many good teams you have from top to bottom, and I think the SEC has a lot of good teams from top to bottom," Saban said. "Last year, we had five teams in the playoff in the SEC, which says there's pretty good depth in this league."
That’s the heart of Saban’s case: depth matters more than headline wins at the top. And when you look beyond the marquee programs, the SEC’s argument gets a lot sturdier.
Arkansas and Purdue both finished 2025 at 2-10 overall, but their seasons told very different stories. The Razorbacks dropped six of their 10 games by six points or fewer, including blown chances against Ole Miss and Memphis, a failed fourth-down try on a potential tying drive against Mississippi State and a missed go-ahead field goal at LSU with five minutes left.
Purdue had its own near miss, coughing up a potential game-winning drive against Rutgers in the final minute. But its other two one-score losses, against Minnesota and Michigan, were far less competitive than most of Arkansas’ narrow defeats.
The same kind of contrast showed up when comparing how the Big Ten’s playoff teams were tested versus the SEC’s. Indiana and Oregon both escaped scares at Penn State, though the Nittany Lions still finished with a bowl win.
Meanwhile, SEC teams were grinding through far more dangerous bottom-half opponents. South Carolina pushed both Alabama and Texas A&M to the edge, and Texas A&M trailed the Gamecocks by 27 points at home. Auburn’s offense struggled badly, but its defense still made life difficult for Alabama, Georgia, Oklahoma and Texas A&M.
Florida also gave Georgia a tight game in its first outing after parting ways with Billy Napier, and that result ended up costing Texas a College Football Playoff spot just weeks before Florida fired Napier.
In Other News...
LaNorris Sellers Just Singled Out One Overlooked Gamecock Receiver
DJ Blacks return to South Carolina has quietly become one of the more interesting receiver developments of the offseason. After a winding path that included stops at Limestone and UCF, the wideout came back to Columbia in January and quickly earned attention from the Gamecocks staff, who named him Offensive Co-Newcomer of the Spring. For a receiver room that already has familiar faces back in the mix, Black gives the group another experienced option with a different background than most of the players around him.
The bigger question now is how much of that spring momentum carries into the fall. South Carolina has several returning receivers and more competition for snaps than certainty, which makes every practice rep matter as August approaches. Blacks blend of speed, size and experience gives him a real chance to carve out a role, but the depth chart is still very much in motion, and that battle should be one of the more closely watched parts of camp. [Read more 🡒]
Why Sellers And Harbor Are So Fired Up About Briles' Offense
Kendal Briles arrival as South Carolinas offensive coordinator has given the Gamecocks something they have been looking for on that side of the ball: a faster pace and a more wide-open system. For LaNorris Sellers and Nyck Harbor, the appeal is obvious. Both young playmakers have talked about the freedom that comes with Briles approach, one that is built to let athletes attack in space and make more happen after the snap.
Shane Beamer pointed to Briles efficiency and his proven track record as the reasons the staff wanted him in Columbia, and it is easy to see why the fit has generated buzz around the program. The bigger question now is how quickly South Carolina can turn that excitement into production, especially with Sellers and Harbor both eager to see what this offense can unlock for the rest of the receiving group moving forward. [Read more 🡒]