Rece Davis Names Best Conference Amid Big Ten vs. SEC Debate originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The SEC has grown used to setting the national standard in college football, but recent years have complicated that reputation.
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With the Michigan Wolverines and Ohio State Buckeyes claiming the last two national championships, the Big Ten has disrupted the SEC’s decade-long dominance and forced a national conversation about which league holds the upper hand entering 2025.
On a new episode of the “College GameDay Podcast,” ESPN’s Rece Davis offered his take. The longtime analyst acknowledged the shift in championship results but insisted the SEC remains the strongest conference overall.
Davis pointed to a depth advantage, noting that the middle tier of the SEC continues to feature more quality programs than any other league in the country.
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SEC’s ‘Upper Middle Class’ Gives it Staying Power in 2025
Davis argued that while elite contenders exist in both leagues, the SEC benefits from fewer bottom-tier programs and a larger crop of dangerous sleeper teams.
He described this group as the “upper-middle class” of college football, comprising College Football Playoff hopefuls just outside the top tier of SEC teams.
Programs like the LSU Tigers, South Carolina Gamecocks, Florida Gators and Texas A&M Aggies illustrate that point. All four return experienced quarterbacks and upgraded talent on defense and remain a threat to knock off bluebloods like the Texas Longhorns, Georgia Bulldogs or Alabama Crimson Tide.
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Winning the College Football Playoff trophy isn’t the sole determinant of what makes for the best conference, according to ESPN analyst Rece Davis.Adam Cairns / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Add the Ole Miss Rebels and Tennessee Volunteers to the conversation as two more programs that have shown the ability to spring surprise wins, as both carry a top 25 coaches poll ranking into 2025.
Davis’ take reframes the debate. Rather than judging purely by titles, he emphasized competitive balance across the entire league.
For fans tracking who might break out in 2025, the SEC’s depth gives it a higher baseline. In a sport trending toward a further expanded playoff, that level of week-to-week competition may matter more than one program carrying a conference to the finish line.
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Big Ten’s Recent Run Adds New Urgency to SEC Hype
While Davis defended the SEC’s structure, the recent success of the Big Ten cannot be ignored.
Michigan and Ohio State, each with titles in the past two seasons, have changed the power map heading into 2025.
With the Penn State Nittany Lions, Oregon Ducks and Illinois Fighting Illini also inside the top 15 of the coaches poll, the Big Ten suddenly feels deeper than ever. However, Davis views those shifts as temporary. He believes the SEC’s foundation gives it more long-term upside.
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A second year of the expanded 12-team playoff could offer a clearer answer to these longer trends of college football’s best conference, with both leagues expected to place multiple teams in the final field again.
Related: Paul Finebaum Fires Back at ESPN Analyst Over SEC Narrative
Related: Colin Cowherd Highlights How Nick Saban Screwed Up the SEC
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Aug 6, 2025, where it first appeared.
