Every offseason, college football fans argue over one thing more than anything else: SEC bias. And ESPN may have just poured gasoline on that fire.
Earlier this week, ESPN Analytics revealed that every single SEC team has a preseason strength of schedule ranked inside the nation’s top 20. The explanation? The conference’s new nine-game league schedule means every SEC team is playing another SEC opponent.
On the surface, that makes sense. But critics say the logic quickly becomes circular.
The argument goes something like this: SEC teams have the toughest schedules because they play SEC teams. And SEC teams are considered the toughest opponents because they play other SEC teams. It’s a loop that many fans outside the conference believe reinforces itself year after year.
Social media immediately erupted after ESPN’s graphic was released, with fans mocking the rankings and questioning whether strength of schedule metrics are giving the SEC too much credit before a single snap has been played. Some pointed out that preseason ratings heavily influence these formulas, meaning perceptions from previous years can carry over into current projections.
That doesn’t mean the SEC isn’t loaded with talent. Georgia, Texas, Alabama, LSU, Oklahoma, and several others are expected to contend nationally once again. But the debate isn’t whether the SEC is good—it’s whether the conference gets a built-in advantage in preseason analytics simply because its teams play each other.
Until the games are actually played, the discussion will continue. And with ESPN once again placing every SEC team inside the top 20 for strength of schedule, don’t expect accusations of conference favoritism to disappear anytime soon.
