Perception vs reality
In September, many members of the media, led by ESPN, declared the Big Ten dead. Those same individuals boasted that the SEC West the greatest division in the history of CFB. The problem was, that entire argument was based on the flaw of pre-season rankings and biased perception. It was given validation due to A&Ms blowout victory over South Carolina, and was used to boost both Mississippi schools, and Alabama into the top tiers of the rankings.
Under the old BCS system, we would have had an Alabama vs Florida State matchup. Why? Because of the perception of SEC strength, based mostly on circular logic. Yes they won 7 straight, but they also got the benefit of the doubt to even play in the title game over comparable teams. Yesterdays 2 games show how flawed this system was, and theres little doubt that with a 4 team playoff, the 7 MNC streak would have never happened. No more title game layups, and no more automatic entry.
It was a huge day for the conference, and CFB in general. The SEC was exposed, even with the SEC fatigue excuses. Plus, the B1G was validated as extremely underrated. Part of it is due to increased play by the B1G teams, and part is simply due to more balanced match ups. The SEC stranglehold is over, and I think youll see a more balanced playing field in the future.