At SEC media days recently, several prominent figures spent lengthy press conferences telling anyone who would listen that the SEC deserves all 16 teams in the College Football Playoff.In fact, maybe they'd consider inducting an honorary 17th member if necessary, just to ensure a fair assessment of strength of schedule.Lane Kiffin, Steve Sarkisian and Greg Sankey all were at the very top of their high horses, explaining that SEC teams are automatically superior, even if they lose more games and play poorly against bad teams, and that the College Football Playoff selection committee has not shown the conference the proper respect.PERCEPTION IS REALITY, AND THE SEC NEEDS TO START WINNING AGAIN BEFORE IT CONTINUES TO PUFF OUT ITS CHESTLost in all these comments is the inconvenient truth that the SEC has not earned that respect by winning more games against other Power Four teams in the playoff than it has lost.
But thankfully for them, Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Bret Bielema is here to remind them.Illinois head coach Bret Bielema yells at an official during the second half of the Music City Bowl NCAA college football game against Tennessee, Tuesday, Dec.30, 2025, in Nashville, Tennessee.
(AP Photo/George Walker IV)Bielema at Big Ten media days had some harsh words for the SEC and commissioner Sankey in his introductory comments, saying they're looking to "protect" the conference."(Greg) Sankey, I know he's gotta protect the SEC and they kinda wanna live in 2005 forever..."ILLINOIS COACH BRET BIELEMA FIRES BACK AT NOTRE DAME AD OVER RECENT REMARKS: 'JUST JOIN A CONFERENCE'"I think the forward thinking in college football is an awesome thing."He said that two "components" have altered the sport dramatically, the transfer portal and NIL, which has leveled the playing field between schools.Though he did stop short of saying the SEC may have had some financial advantages over other conferences before the introduction of NIL."Basically the two biggest things, the...