In the 1990s, legendary Florida coach Steve Spurrier coined the term "talking season" to describe the annual summer media days.
Nobody did it like Spurrier, both through his historic run with the Gators and later during his time at South Carolina. The "Ole Ball Coach" provided viral moments before viral moments were a thing.
He's now 81 years old and long removed from the sideline, though. In fact, Spurrier might not even recognize today's product - on the field or off - as the mighty SEC in which he grew his legend is no longer the king of college football.
With three Big Ten teams winning the last three national championships, the conference clearly has a strong argument that it's surpassed the SEC as the best league in the country. The conferences' respective media days in July confirmed that the Big Ten isn't just the top league on the field; it's the bully on the block.
"We don't run a hype machine up here in the Midwest," Indiana coach Curt Cignetti boasted from the podium six months after leading his team to the national title.
He continued, "We believe everything's earned, not given. And when we fall short, we say, 'We fell short.' We don't cry a river, whine, and complain. And that's why we're the best."
It's foolish to question Cignetti at this point. Not only did he deliver one of the most stunning national title runs in the history of the sport, but he did so while steamrolling his former employer - Alabama - en route to the trophy.
The Hoosiers' 38-3 beatdown of the Crimson Tide in the Rose Bowl was the worst bowl loss in the illustrious program's history. That lopsided affair has even the greatest college football coach of all time trying to move the goalposts.
"First of all, whoever wins the national championship doesn't define who has the best conference," Nick Saban said on ESPN's "Get Up" during SEC Media Days. "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."
The SEC might have quality teams throughout, but are we really about to measure greatness by whether the SEC's eighth-place team is better than its Big Ten counterpart? Even if we did, it still wouldn't look good for the SEC: Tennessee and Illinois, which filled those roles in their respective conferences last year, actually faced each other in the Music City Bowl, with the Fighting Illini winning 30-28.
Missouri, LSU, Vanderbilt, and Mississippi State joined the Volunteers in losing their non-playoff bowl games. In fact, the SEC went 1-8 against nonconference opponents in postseason play last year.
Spare us the "bowl games don't matter" conversation as well, considering the conference has also failed miserably under the brightest lights. In CFP matchups against nonconference opponents over the past three years, the SEC has a dismal 3-6 record, which includes four losses by at least 13 points. In recent years, we've watched the SEC fall flat in the biggest moments too often to give it the benefit of the doubt. At least most of us.
ESPN, which owns the SEC Network, was once again the source of an impassioned defense of the conference Wednesday.
"The competition within [the SEC] is so difficult that 9 games of craziness week in and week out, a little different than other parts, other conferences. … Furthermore, they’re gassed.”@LauraRutledge explains the SEC’s tough path to the CFP on the @PatMcAfeeShow 👀 pic.twitter.com/hKpnNuYkh1
— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) July 29, 2026
Sure, the SEC presents difficult matchups in conference play, but it's not like the bottom half of the Big Ten forfeits its games. After all, the Big Ten requires some of its members to fly 2,800 miles for league action.
Ole Miss was the final SEC team standing in the CFP last year. Before the team embarked on its playoff run, the final month of the Rebels' regular season consisted of matchups against SEC bottom-feeders Florida, Mississippi State, and South Carolina as well as FCS program The Citadel. Not exactly the most grueling November slate.
You could comb through a few teams' Big Ten schedules and find comfortable late-season slates as well. However, that conference isn't the one trying to prop itself up by touting the strength of its average competitor.
Even the SEC's most accomplished active coach admitted to a shift in the Big Ten's favor.
"I just think they have a more competitive conference," Georgia's Kirby Smart said in April on "The Next Round" podcast. "At the top of their conference, there's more good teams. It used to be Ohio State was good. Well, Michigan was really good with (Jim) Harbaugh. They had a great team. Indiana's good. Like, now they've got Oregon. They've got a draw. They have the ability to attract good players."
Maybe the balance of power shifts back in 2026 and boisterous "SEC, SEC" chants will ring out at the conclusion of the national title game. Texas, Georgia, and LSU are among the top eight betting favorites to win the championship come January.
But that's not where things stand at the moment. The trophy and power in the sport reside with the kings of the North, no whining or complaining allowed.
