Guy Chamberlin
Heisman Trophy Winner
The Pac 8 and Pac 12 never got much love from the East Coast media that often slept through their games, but for years they kicked the Big 10s a$$ in bowl games. The narrative that you had to be big, strong and traditional to compete in the Big 10 ignored the fact that smart, fast passing teams often picked them apart. Some people still think the Big10 has a distinct style of play and tougher defenses, but it's just football. The SEC earned its reputation for a decade or so but there are more better teams these days. Fan devotion counts for something -- including TV ratings -- and that's where the Big 10 and SEC always had an advantage over West Coast teams.