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Ohio State Buckeyes vs. SEC: Dumbest college football argument ever

By Michael Collins

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The Ohio State Buckeyes are the defending national champions, that makes them a target for everyone. But this ongoing and escalating battle with the SEC is really a lot of stuff and nonsense.

RELATED: Lou Holtz Thinks Conference vs. Conference Rivalries Not Good for College Football

Doing what I do for a living, I talk to a lot of fans from a lot of different parts of the country. I visit stadiums and check out the big rivalries. I peruse various online forums and even belong to a few Facebook groups that represent assorted teams and conferences.

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This year I’m seeing and hearing something quite different than usual.

Did I say different? I meant dumb.

There’s an argument going on just about everywhere you turn that deals with the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Southeastern Conference, and it’s starting to reach white-hot levels of anger and vitriol. The SEC fans accuse Ohio State of playing a cupcake schedule and having no resistance on their way to a championship. Ohio State fans brag about stomping mudholes in the SEC if they were in that conference.

And on, and on, and on, and on it goes…

Tiresome, boring, and usually vulgar, the argument has become prevalent in the national media thanks to coaches like Arkansas’ Bret Bielema (how’s that humble pie tasting there, Bret?). Even nationally known journalists like Kirk Herbstreit get baited into joining in the slinging of dampened soil.

But here’s why this is quite possibly the dumbest argument ever.

My definition of a dumb argument is one that can never, ever truly be settled. Like two kids arguing over whether Batman or Spider-man would win in a fight. You can pontificate until the next Superman reboot about how Bruce Wayne’s training and weapons would easily defeat Peter Parker, or how Spidey’s agility and web-slinging would take down the Dark Knight.

It’s never going to happen, other than contrived in someone’s mind.

In college football you can settle who’s the best at each position by using stats, you can settle who’s the best in each conference by using the records, you can settle who’s the best player in the game by handing him the Heisman Trophy (well, that one may be debatable).

But you will never, ever be able to settle whether or not Ohio State is better than the majority of SEC teams, or if they would be just as successful playing in that conference.

They say never to say never…well, I’m saying never.

Ohio State will never be a member of the SEC…Argument. Over.

The most you’ll get is one, maybe two games per season matched up between the Buckeyes and and SEC team. Possibly a regular season game if the scheduling gods and dollars are all aligned, and then a more likely meeting in a postseason bowl game or playoff.

That settles absolutely nothing, except that a particular SEC team is either better or worse than Ohio State on a particular day.

We can’t even settle it on our gaming consoles anymore (and trust me, I know you die-hards would be realigning the conferences on a modern-day edition of EA Sports NCAA Football).

So let me just put it out there and talk some real truth to both Ohio State and SEC fans. Neutral corners, ladies and gentlemen.

SEC fans – take note – Ohio State has a soft schedule this year, but it’s not by their doing and its out of their control. Just as the SEC, the Big Ten has conference schedules prepared years in advance. Perhaps five years ago some of the teams in the B1G East were a little tougher, and when the cycle comes around, they will be again.

Ohio State fans – listen up – from top to bottom and as a conference, the SEC has better teams than the Big Ten. So yes, playing in that conference might present a few more challenges than it does in the Big Ten right now. That can and probably will change. Excellence at the top almost always raises the competition around the bottom. It happened in the SEC and probably will in your conference too.

SEC fans – be quiet – the more you talk and beat your chests, the more karma will come back and deliver a low blow, as it did this past Saturday. Worry about your own teams, your own conference and beating those FCS teams. Get to the postseason and then we’ll see what happens.

Ohio State fans – don’t get cocky – you have one significant victory (last year against Alabama) over the SEC in recent years, and you were 0-9 against the SEC in bowl games until the 2011 Sugar Bowl win over Arkansas. You’re still only 2-10 against them all-time in bowl games. One big victory does not wipe out over a decade of frustration and failures. Be proud of your title, but don’t distort how tough it was to get there.

There’s no settling this argument, and it’s pointless to debate…so why do it? It’s much more fun to debate and argue about rivalries you actually play every year. Let’s just stick to what we know and can prove.

You’re both good – Ohio State and SEC – and it will never be proven who is truly the best.

P.S.: Urban Meyer and Nick Saban are equally intolerable but amazing coaches. Stop arguing that one too.

Hashtag pot stirred, hashtag poke that hornets nest.

Next: Top 50 CFB Rivalries of All Time

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