Ad Disclosure
Greg Sankey has been the commissioner of the SEC since 2015. During that time, SEC teams have won multiple championships and are perpetually at the top of the college football rankings.
On Saturday, Sankey joined College GameDay in Atlanta to make his case for the SEC being the best league in college football. The commissioner said the SEC needs to be “respected” by the College Football Playoff committee.
“Fourteen of our teams have a better strength of schedule than all but one of the CFP top 25,” explained Sankey. “It’s not about just losses, it’s about the strength of how you challenge yourself.”
Of course, Sankey is referring to Alabama. The Crimson Tide have 3 losses but are No. 18 in strength of schedule and No. 4 in ESPN’s Football Power Index. The Tide are set to be in the Playoff if SMU wins the ACC Championship, but could be left out if Clemson defeats SMU.
“We were 8-3 against ACC teams during the season,” said the commissioner. “This is the strongest league in college football and it needs to be respected for that.”
Backing up Sankey’s point, 8 of the 10 teams with the best strength of schedule are in the SEC. Purdue and Michigan are the only non-SEC teams in the top 10 in strength of schedule.
Alabama’s losses came to Vanderbilt, Tennessee, and Oklahoma. The team has wins over LSU, Missouri, South Carolina, and Georgia, however, strengthening the team’s case for a spot in the CFP.
“[The SEC] is the strongest league in college football and it needs to be respected for that.”
—SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey on the CFP picture pic.twitter.com/CUDxZtvabY
— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) December 7, 2024
The SEC Championship Game will kick off from Atlanta on Saturday at 4:00 p.m. ET.
Bryce Lazenby covers college football for Saturday Down South. A Nashville native, his previous stops include FanSided, Dimers, and The Leaf-Chronicle.
