Coming into this season, the Southeastern Conference (SEC) had been the clear powerhouse of college football, winning 13 of the last 18 national championships. The SEC had also sent a team to the national title game in 16 of those 18 years.
But after Texas’ 28-14 loss to Ohio State in the College Football Playoff Semifinals, the conference will be left out of the national championship game for the second year in a row. This is the first time since 2004-2005 that the SEC has missed back-to-back title games.
To make matters worse, the Southeastern Conference didn’t exactly shine in the first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff, finishing with just a 2-3 record.
Tennessee was knocked out early with a humiliating 25-point loss to Ohio State in the first round, and Georgia suffered a double-digit defeat to Notre Dame in the quarterfinals.
The SEC’s only two wins came from Steve Sarkisian and the Texas Longhorns, who were entering their first season as a member of the conference after leaving the Big 12.
On top of that, the SEC wrapped up the bowl season with an 8-7 record, translating to a .533 win percentage—its second-worst showing since the 2018-2019 season. Meanwhile, conferences like the Big Ten (.625%, 10-6), the AAC (.750%, 6-2), the MAC (.714%, 5-2), and the Sun Belt (.571%, 4-3) all posted better marks.
When you take a step back and look at the SEC's underwhelming performance this year, it makes you start to wonder: could this be the beginning of the end for the SEC's reign over college football?
It’s impossible to ignore how factors like NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) and the transfer portal may be playing a role in making college football more competitive across the board.
A few weeks ago, ahead of the Indiana-Notre Dame CFP first-round matchup, comedian Shane Gillis said on College GameDay, "There’s a parity (in college football). Now that everyone can pay their players…not just the SEC and Coach Saban."
“Now that everybody can pay their players Notre Dame has a shot. Not just the SEC and Coach Saban.” - Shane Gillis on Gameday 😂😂 pic.twitter.com/vPwu2Khunn
— Karter Baughan (@karterb8) December 21, 2024
While he was obviously joking, he wasn’t entirely wrong—there does seem to be more of a level playing field these days.
The SEC is still one of the top conferences in college football, no doubt. But with the Big Ten and other conferences catching up, it’s clear the SEC’s dominance might not be as secure as it once was.
With NIL and the Transfer Portal shaking things up, the competition is only getting tougher. Whether this is just a short-term dip for the SEC or the start of something bigger, only time will tell.
As for the title game, the Ohio State Buckeyes will face the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on Monday, January 20, at 7:30 p.m. EST. The game will take place at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, and Ohio State is currently a 9.5-point favorite, according to the latest CFP National Championship odds.
We'll see if Ohio State can claim their first title since 2014, or if Notre Dame will become the first independent team to win the championship since Miami did it in 1989.