Laura Rutledge opines that SEC’s regular-season schedule may be holding conference back in CFP
By David Wasson
Published:
The Southeastern Conference is currently riding a three-season drought without a national championship, as Big Ten powers Michigan and Ohio State won in 2023 and 2024 and upstart Indiana captured the title in 2025.
There are all kinds of theories as to why the SEC is falling short in capturing the ultimate prize, and ESPN’s Laura Rutledge discussed one of them Tuesday on the “Pat McAfee Show”.
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“The competition within the league is so difficult that nine games of craziness week in and week out, a little different than other parts, other conferences,” Rutledge said. “I’m not dissing on the Big Ten. By the time they get to the end, there’s not many left and they eliminate each other. Furthermore, they’re gassed.”
Five SEC teams earned bids in the 12-team College Football Playoff last season – with conference champion Georgia being joined by Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Oklahoma and Alabama in the field. Three Big Ten teams earned bids, as conference champ and eventual national-title winner Indiana was joined by Ohio State and Oregon.
The Big Ten had four teams (Ohio State, Oregon, Penn State, Indiana) all making the 2024 field, however, as three SEC teams. (Georgia, Texas, Tennessee) were in the first 12-team bracket.
An APSE national award-winning writer and editor, David Wasson has almost four decades of experience in the print journalism business in Florida and Alabama. His work has also appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times and several national magazines and websites. His Twitter handle: @JustDWasson.
