SEC shots crumble when the slightest bit of context is added

It's that time of the year again when conferences around the country love to spew nonsense about the SEC. The ACC and Big Ten Media Days are upon us, following SEC Media Days, and two coaches targeted the creme de la creme of college football conferences, calling it top-heavy and making fun of its schedules.

Curt Cignetti takes a shot at SEC schedules

Indiana coach Curt Cignetti was one of those who took his shot at the SEC. When he was asked about why Indiana decided to cancel its home-and-home series with Virginia, he responded, "We figured we'd just adopt an SEC schedule. And focus on our conference games."

As a head coach with only one season of Power Four experience under his belt, Cignetti finished the regular season with an 11-1 record, facing powerhouses (sarcasm) like Florida International, Western Illinois, UCLA, Charlotte, Maryland, Northwestern, Nebraska, Washington, and Purdue, which combined for regular season record of 39-69. When the Hoosiers played teams within throwing range of the top 25, they crashed and burned. Indiana's 2025 schedule isn't much harder, so it's interesting that Cignetti uses it to throw a dig at the SEC only playing nine conference games.

However, if he does wish to play an SEC schedule, maybe he should ask Arkansas head coach Sam Pittman to trade, but something tells me he wouldn't take the offer.

Rhett Lashlee takes shot at his former conference

The strength of those eight conference games was, again, challenged Tuesday, but this time, from the ACC. Former Arkansas quarterback and the head coach of SMU, Rhett Lashlee, said his piece at ACC Media Days, spelling out a half-baked argument about the SEC being top-heavy. Let's be clear, yes, the SEC is indeed 'top-heavy,' but it's a tank whereas the ACC is a mid-sized sedan.

Since 1964, the SEC claims seven teams have won the championship, not six. In 1976, Kentucky and Georgia shared the honor, but the Bulldogs won the head-to-head matchup, so maybe that's why Lashlee said six instead of seven. Nevertheless, in that time, the league has added six more teams: Arkansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, and Texas A&M. All six won championships in other conferences—all except SC won multiple—before joining the SEC. None have won a conference championship since.

Texas may break the streak this season, but compared to the other conferences around the Power Four, it's amazing how long the SEC has kept the crown among its original members.

Oregon came into the Big Ten and won the title in its first season. The Big 12 has had multiple former Southwest Conference teams win its championship. And a former SEC school, Georgia Tech, has taken the ACC trophy back to Atlanta no less than three times. As a matter of fact, all SEC defectors have gone on to win multiple conference championships, with Tulane winning twice since 1964, and Sewanee winning 11.

From an Arkansas fan perspective—fans of a team that's basically pummelled year in and year out for thirty years but was a perennial power in the SWC—it's clear that the SEC is king, and it's not really that close.