Before the College Football Playoff even started, I stated that the SEC would not win a single non-conference game against another Power Four conference. I still stand by that today.

Full disclosure: I always root for the Georgia Bulldogs — as long as they aren’t playing Syracuse or Montana.

Imagine for a second what college football would look like if SEC teams were not automatically ranked in the top 15 before a single down of football is played. When eight SEC teams start the season in the top 15 every year, it creates a built-in perception that the SEC schedule is always the toughest and that SEC teams are always elite. That perception then reinforces itself throughout the season.

Now imagine if BYU, Iowa, or five or six teams from another conference were placed in the preseason top 15 instead. Let the season play out from that starting point and watch how differently the narrative would unfold. Suddenly, the Big 12 or Big Ten would appear deeper, tougher, and more impressive — even if the actual on-field results were similar. Rankings shape perception far more than most fans want to admit.

Don’t get me wrong: the SEC is the best conference overall. The idea that there is some grand conspiracy by ESPN or the playoff committee is mostly just fun Twitter clickbait. The SEC produces the most NFL talent, wins the most championships, and has earned its reputation over time.

However, perception still matters. I would genuinely love to see a thought experiment where six Big 12 or Big Ten teams that finished with strong records are placed into the preseason top 15 in August, and then rankings are updated week by week from that baseline. I suspect many of those teams would stay highly ranked simply because early wins would be treated as “big wins” instead of “nice wins.” Unfortunately, I don’t have time to run that experiment — but I hope someone does.

When you look at how the playoff bracket breaks down this year, there’s a fascinating oddity: the SEC is not favored against any non-conference Power Four opponent. That almost never happens.

Miami fans may beg to differ, but Ohio State as 9 point favorites is a gift. You’ll see that when they dominate the Hurricanes. As for Georgia versus Ohio State, I will absolutely be rooting to be wrong.

That’s the core of my argument: the SEC does an outstanding job beating itself and dominating Group of Five teams, but when the conference is removed from its own ecosystem and placed into true cross-conference playoff matchups, it is not nearly as automatic as people believe.

So yes, the SEC is the best conference. But this year, I believe the SEC will win zero non-conference Power Four playoff games. Not because the SEC is weak — but because the rest of college football is no longer as far behind as the rankings, hype, and television narratives suggest.