FS1's Colin Cowherd says Big Ten reigns supreme over SEC based on financial leverage

FS1's Colin Cowherd recently discussed why he believes the Big Ten has surpassed the SEC as the top conference in college football. He shared his take on his FS1 show, "The Herd." Many analysts and college football experts believe that the name, image, and likeness (NIL) movement has leveled the playing field between many conferences, pointing to the fact that the SEC has not been as dominant since the introduction of NIL.

"This is going to be hard for people to stomach. The Big Ten is better than the SEC. It is not just that Ohio State owns the Natty last year; it is that they humiliated Tennessee and dominated Texas. Texas scored 14 points after scoring over 14 points in 32 straight games in the SEC. The year before Alabama played Michigan, when Michigan won the National Championship, Alabama could not move the ball. They barely had 100 yards passing. It looks a lot like it used to eight years ago, when a Georgia or a Bama team would face a Big Ten team, and the Big Ten teams could not generate consistent offense."
FS1 analyst Colin Cowherd

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"Big Ten money is Hollywood, tech, and financial centers. There's a lot of car dealerships in the SEC."@colincowherd lays out why the Big Ten is now the premier college football conference pic.twitter.com/rM7gQpS8B9
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) July 21, 2025

Cowherd went on to say that the Big Ten has overtaken the SEC because their money is different and deeper. He discussed the fact that Big Ten money comes from Hollywood, tech, and business, while the SEC is more reliant on car dealership-type money. I do not know that the SEC only relies on car dealership money, but Michigan fans certainly know what it is like to have deep pockets in their corner. Oracle founder Larry Ellison is the second-richest man in the world and also a major booster and supporter of Michigan athletics. While his take may be a bit premature, if the Big Ten runs through the College Football Playoff to another national title this year, there could be some serious concern in SEC country.

Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh lifts up the trophy as players and coaches celebrate after 34-13 win over Washington to win the national championship | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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FS1's Colin Cowherd says Big Ten reigns supreme over SEC based on financial leverage

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