SEC vs. Big Ten: Which league in better shape for bowl showdowns?
By Chris Wright
Published:
We’re a mere days from settling (temporarily, again) the annual debate about which conference is better.
Well, in their cold-weather affected minds it’s a debate. The sample size has to be pretty small and fairly selective if you’re going to make a legitimate argument that the Big Ten has surpassed the SEC.
Basically, that argument is this: Ohio State beat Alabama last year in the semifinals, then won it all a week later.
There’s not much to go on this year. The leagues faced each other just once — Alabama pounded Wisconsin 35-17 in a neutral-site game to open the regular season. Derrick Henry ran for 147 yards and 3 TDs, and Jake Coker and Cooper Bateman both played and played well.
Wisconsin, by the way, led the Big Ten in rushing defense, allowing just 97 yards per game — 25 fewer than Michigan State, which Alabama will face Dec. 31 in its national semifinal, also at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.
Alabama rushed for 238 yards against Wisconsin. Only one other team all season — Nebraska (196) — topped 150 against the Badgers.
So, again, SEC 1, Big Ten 0.
The SEC is favored in three of the four bowl matchups vs. the Big Ten: Alabama over Michigan State; Tennessee over Northwestern and Georgia over Penn State. The exception is Michigan over Florida.
Based on what’s happened this season, it’s hard to argue because the Big Ten played so few non-conference Power 5 teams. Basically it built its reputation — and record — by beating up on smaller conferences and lesser Big Ten teams.
Consider these resumes from the four Big Ten teams that will face the SEC this bowl season:
- Michigan State edged Oregon 31-28 in its lone non-conference Power 5 game
- Michigan blanked BYU 31-0 and went 1-1 vs. the Pac-12
- Northwestern outlasted Stanford 16-6 and Duke 19-10
- Penn State lost to Temple and didn’t face a non-conference Power 5 team.
Not exactly a resounding argument for the best conference claim, which many are trying to make based on the Big Ten placing three teams in the top 10 of the final College Football Playoff Ranking, whereas the SEC had just one (Alabama) among the top 11.
Last year was a bit different, as Ohio State in the final month clearly was in a class by itself. But — again — its most impressive victories were against Big Ten teams. It blew out Wisconsin in the Big Ten Championship. It was impressive.
But Alabama — despite committing three turnovers — still put up 35 points on the Buckeyes in the 7-point semifinal loss, more than Ohio State allowed in all but one of its Big Ten games.
Wait, there’s more: Wisconsin needed a field goal in overtime to squeak past Auburn in the Outback Bowl, but Missouri pounded Minnesota 33-17 and Tennessee walked all over Iowa team 45-28.
The last time Tennessee scored 45 in regulation against a bowl-bound SEC team? Go back to 2012.
So even since the SEC’s alleged fall from its 2007-2013 glory, the SEC has gone 4-3 against the Big Ten — with four more opportunities awaiting.
Yes, Ohio State won the biggest of those games, but there’s too much history in the SEC’s favor — 20-12 vs. Big Ten since 2007 — and not enough evidence this season to allow one game to erase its stronghold as college football’s heavyweight champion.
Managing Editor
A 30-time APSE award-winning editor with previous stints at the Miami Herald, The Indianapolis Star and News & Observer, Executive Editor Chris Wright oversees editorial operations for Saturday Down South.
