Georgia's Kirby Smart says Big Ten is 'more competitive conference' than SEC after CFP title streak

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After winning three-straight College Football Playoff titles, the Big Ten currently sits atop the sport and has the trophies to prove their recent dominance over the SEC.

One of the most discussed talking points in college football has recently centered around how the Big Ten has separated itself in the postseason, whether that is through an influx in NIL spending or teams from the SEC not being able to stockpile talent like previous years.

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Indiana Hoosiers head coach Curt Cignetti looks on during the College Football Playoff National Championship Game against the Miami Hurricanes at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla., on Jan. 19, 2026. (David Rosenblum/Icon Sportswire)

Either way, what the Big Ten has been able to do with Indiana, Ohio State and Michigan winning the past three championships has put the pressure on teams down south to either buck the current trend or find different ways to be the last conference standing.

For Georgia head coach Kirby Smart, it could come down to competitiveness from teams that were once struggling, with Indiana being a perfect example.

"I just think they have a more competitive conference," Kirby Smart told Next Round Live. "Like at the top of their conference, there is more good teams. It used to be, eh Ohio State was good, or Michigan was really good. Harbaugh had a really good team. Indiana is good. Then they've got Oregon. They have the ability to attract good players.

"Now, NIL has a factor too. But so does Miami. People have money, more people have money. So I think the talent is spread out thin, where before in the SEC, it was a magnet to talent. The disparity was so great that you couldn't mess it up. You could win regardless. Now it's like okay, it's more even and it's just been three in a row."

Is This An Example Of How Tough The Conference Is From Top To Bottom?

Sure, there could also be an argument made about the strength of schedule within the Big Ten compared to the SEC. There seems to be more competition at the bottom of the SEC, with the recent success of Vanderbilt as an example.

The problem is that in this current era, success for some teams will come in waves. While we have seen teams like Northwestern or even Purdue struggle, there was a drop-off last season for South Carolina and others within the SEC.

Georgia head coach Kirby Smart and his team celebrate after winning the Southeastern Conference Championship Game against Alabama in Atlanta, Ga., on Dec. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

But, does the argument that the SEC is destroying each other in the regular season hold up?

For Smart, it's not a point of emphasis for him, though there are other coaches within the conference that might feel that way.

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"A lot of SEC coaches say this in my meetings is they don't have the grind that we do. There's no way. Three of their nine games are hard. Their bottom four games are not our bottom four games," Smart mentioned.

"I'm going to play in Starkville and Vanderbilt in my bottom four and I am holding onto my butt to play at noon on Saturday in Starkville. A good team who beat Arizona State, who goes and plays these other teams. So there is a theory that we are beating each other up and it's like the intensity, it wears you down."

Mark Cuban waves to the crowd and gives a peace sign while wearing an Indiana t-shirt before the 2026 College Football Playoff National Championship at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla., on Jan. 19, 2026. (CFP/Getty Images)

The current debate is not simmering down any time soon, especially if the SEC fails to win a national championship this season.

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In reality, NIL has led to programs being able to garner talent that in some cases the SEC would stockpile in the past. There is no denying that the Big Ten has the upper hand right now, and that's not going to change until one of the SEC schools is once again hoisting the CFP championship trophy to end the season.

Will that happen next year in Las Vegas? Who knows, but the Big Ten is currently riding a well-deserved winning streak, and it's paying off in more ways than one.

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