Mike Germanese
Writer
It was one of the most-anticipated opening games in college football history. No.3 Ohio State defeated No.1 Texas 14-7 in a game that was nothing like the offensive battle people hoped for. Ohio State taking down the No. 1 Longhorns means the Big Ten Conference lands the first blow in proving who is the top conference in 2025.
In the game, Arch Manning looked nothing like the quarterback the hype suggested. But give credit where credit is due, to new Ohio State defensive coordinator Matt Patricia for being a big part of that result. On the other side, Julian Sayin wasn’t much better, but, in the end, Sayin got the win as Ohio State’s starting QB.
During the offseason, a constant narrative was being pushed that the SEC is better than any other conference, and it wasn’t even close. Unfortunately, for the people pushing that narrative, it was the SEC that took two huge blows in week 1. Not one but two of the top 10 SEC teams lost, moving people to start leaning more towards the Big Ten as the best conference in college football.
It’s looking even more possible as a three-peat as the national champion for the Big Ten. If the Big Ten can pull it off, will that be the final blow in the Big Ten ending the SEC dominance narrative?
The Ohio State defense, led by new DC Patricia, made Manning look nothing like we were told he would. Manning missed open receivers and failed to find the endzone twice inside the Ohio State 5-yard line. Texas’ inability to punch the ball in from the 1-yard line has many asking if the SEC is built to play physically with the Big Ten.
Manning had the best odds to win the Heisman Trophy before the game started at +600, according to BETMGM, but that won’t be the case after Manning’s performance in the game. In the game, Manning went 17-for-30 with 170 yards with 1 TD and 1 interception.
What makes Manning’s performance even harder to take is despite how poorly he played, Manning still had a chance to deliver in the end but failed. With just over 2:20 left, Texas’s defense gave Manning the ball back, only to watch the offense go 38 yards on six plays, ending with Ohio State getting the ball back on downs. Manning failed to shine when the lights were at their brightest; that should worry Texas fans.
On countless occasions, the SEC’s biggest pundit and propaganda machine, Paul Finebaum, guaranteed a Texas win. And now, after the loss, Finebaum is left to admit he was wrong and accept the humiliation because of it. This was a game Finebaum said would not be close. And just when Finebaum supporters thought the day couldn’t get worse, No. 8 Alabama lost to Florida State 31-17. Finebaum also pointed out that Ohio State was overrated and Alabama should have been the No. 3 team in the country.
Finebaum has been one of the biggest pushers of the SEC narrative, “just better than everyone else.” A narrative he continues to push even after the SEC went 8-7 in bowl games a year ago. But now, the Big Ten has big wins against the SEC over the last 12 months. Ohio State has beaten Texas twice and Tennessee in the College Football Playoff. Michigan has beaten Alabama twice and Illinois has beaten South Carolina. Will Finebaum finally drop the false narrative he continues to push?
Finebaum somehow forgot that Ohio State doesn’t rebuild, they reload. It must have slipped his mind on the number of top 10 recruiting classes the Buckeyes have stacked under head coach Ryan Day. Anyone who predicted that Ohio State would lose big is either lying to appeal to the people they work for and the SEC fanbase, or they have no clue what they’re talking about. Either way, both are unacceptable, and at what point will people start to see that Finebaum is just an SEC mouthpiece?
Texas had its chances, but the Ohio State defense shut them down on all but one occasion. And with the win, Texas and the SEC will fall out of the top spot, and the Big Ten and Ohio State will take it. Any talk that the Big Ten is still lagging behind the SEC should all but be over. The hard truth that SEC media and fans alike need to realize is that the Big Ten not only caught up to the SEC but has passed its Power 4 brethren.
It’s never good when two of your top 10-ranked teams lose in Week 1. The Big Ten had all three of its top 10 teams play and win. Penn State and Oregon played Nevada and Montana State, so it’s no surprise that after the Ohio State win, the Big Ten was 3-0. The surprise came in the SEC after No. 8 Alabama lost to an unranked Florida State team as a 13.5-point favorite.
As the Big Ten continues to win on both the field and recruiting trail, it will be interesting to see how certain media try to spin the narrative back in favor of the SEC. For nearly two decades, the SEC has dominated college football, but that dominance has seemingly evaporated over the past few years. What major change could have led to the Big Ten catching up so quickly? Was it Name, Image, and Likeness turning the “Bag Man” into a viable option for everyone?
The college football season is off and running, and for the SEC, the only way it could have been worse would be if No.9 LSU had lost to Clemson. However, LSU defeated the ACC favorites, 17-10, on Saturday. For all the offseason talk about the SEC preseason ranking and strength of schedule, the top teams are doing nothing after week one to help validate any of the points the SEC tried to make. In comparison, the Big Ten appears to be proving the success of the last two seasons is no fluke and is poised to compete for a third consecutive national championship.
Tony Thomas
Writer
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