Curt Cignetti was just as bold as you’d expect of someone who led the Indiana Hoosiers to a national title in just his second season at the helm of the program at the 2026 Big Ten Media Days, making it clear where he believes the Big Ten stands as a conference in relation to the rest of college football.
“The Big Ten is, is the best league in football,” he said on Thursday, “and a lot of really good football teams. It’s hard to win on the road, very physical football teams, very well coached.
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“It definitely prepares you for the playoffs. There’s no doubt about it, the numbers speak for themselves. I mean, we don’t run a hype machine up here in the Midwest. We believe everything’s earned, not given, and when we fall short We say we fell short. We don’t cry a river, whine and complain. Alright? And that’s why we’re the best.”
“He’s 100% correct.”
Somewhat surprisingly, ESPN college football analyst Paul Finebaum, widely viewed as one of the SEC’s staunchest supporters, wholeheartedly agreed.
“He’s 100% correct,” Finebaum said on First Take. “It was virtuoso. It was brilliant. And the SEC has lost this verbal battle just like they lost the battle on the football field. I don’t need to regurgitate the stats. You laid them out. He laid them out. But he did it so effectively, so succinctly, and with such force. Because he has the goods. He has the receipts to back it up.”
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Finebaum admitted that even with his history of supporting the SEC, it’s time to give up the fight.
“I have waved this flag for the SEC for a long time. You have to put that flag down at some point,” Finebaum said. “Just let the field do the talking. Whether it’s Nick Saban last week saying the SEC is still the best, just makes the SEC look ridiculous. And it shouldn’t look ridiculous. It’s a great football conference, but it hasn’t won the title. So, for my friends in the SEC, just shut up already. Get to September, play football, and let’s see if you can change the narrative.”
The Big Ten has won the last three national championships and is starting to show a talent edge over the South as well, with 10 players selected in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft, compared to seven for the SEC.
If the SEC wants to reclaim its spot atop college football, it’ll have to be represented as the last team standing this winter.
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