Brian Kelly admits what every SEC coach should as the LSU Tigers coach pitches possible new scheduling partnership
The power dynamics in college football are still shifting as conference commissioners are trying to decide on a College Football Playoff format, scheduling standards, and much more. Amid the SEC Spring Meetings every coach is sharing their opinions on all the hot button topics, but the LSU Tigers' head coach Brian Kelly gave fans and […]
The power dynamics in college football are still shifting as conference commissioners are trying to decide on a College Football Playoff format, scheduling standards, and much more. Amid the SEC Spring Meetings every coach is sharing their opinions on all the hot button topics, but the LSU Tigers' head coach Brian Kelly gave fans and media even more than they asked for.
First off, Brian Kelly talked through some of the new SEC-Big Ten scheduling plans that should guarantee the "Power Two" face off quite often moving forward (and we'll get to that), but what stood out most was his admission on the battle between the two conferences:
"Look, the Big Ten right now holds it on the SEC. They've won the last two national championships. That's the reality of it. We want to get challenged in that regard, and we'd like to be able to get [the scheduling partnership with the Big Ten] done."
Brian Kelly did follow up and emphatically proclaim that he feels the SEC is the best, deepest, most competitive league (conference), but it was rather refreshing to hear an SEC coach acknowledge the fact that it's been the Big Ten (not the SEC) finishing on top two years in a row with Michigan and Ohio State taking down the last two national championships. They've been the best at the highest levels of competition two years in a row.
It's clear the Big Ten has stepped up their game. Even tier two schools are surprisingly ascending like Illinois and Indiana. Seeing more of the SEC facing off against the Big Ten on a regular basis should be happening every single week when the leagues can pull it off. That's better for everyone.
Kelly continued, reiterating that, "We want to play Big Ten schools", and broke down the schedule proposal that he hopes gets done moving forward. The schedule plan would include nine SEC games (what other conferences have wanted), a Big Ten game, and two other out of conference games every single year.
Every fan wants to see more high quality out-of-conference matchups like Texas versus Ohio State and Michigan versus Oklahoma (both happening this year). Big games that matter. Big games that prove and validate strength of schedule like coach Brian Kelly brought up with multiple media members this week as well.
Hopefully a standard annual faceoff does in fact get approved and put in place between the SEC and Big Ten conferences very soon. That would help silence the debate on the "best" football conference every single year well before that's settled in the College Football Playoff.
We'll be back with more LSU Tigers and national College Football coverage here at A to Z Sports soon! Follow me (@FF_TravisM) and A to Z Sports (@AtoZSportsNFL) on X for all the latest football news!
