The SEC vs. Big Ten debate has become even more heated after the Big Ten won three straight national championships. Dallas Cowboys rookie Caleb Downs knows both conferences well after playing at Alabama and Ohio State before reaching the NFL.

Downs discussed the debate during a recent appearance on The Pivot Podcast. He credited the Big Ten for its recent success before giving his answer on the SEC vs. Big Ten argument.

“You can't argue with the Big Ten the past couple of years,” Downs said. “I would say, in totality, probably since I was growing up and everything, the SEC is probably a better place. They have a better culmination of teams.”

Downs then explained why he believes the Big Ten is closing the gap, particularly as NIL has changed the landscape of college football.

“The Big Ten is catching up with NIL. In terms of Indiana now, there are schools like Purdue taking guys from SEC schools now," Downs said on The Pivot Podcast on August 22. "The Big Ten is getting closer, but at the top of the Big Ten, they've beaten the SEC the past couple of years."

Downs played in both conferences before reaching the NFL. He led Alabama with 107 tackles as a true freshman in 2023 and earned SEC Freshman of the Year honors before transferring to Ohio State following Nick Saban's retirement.

At Ohio State, Downs continued to establish himself as one of the country's top defensive players.

He helped the Buckeyes win a national championship and also claimed the Jim Thorpe Award before the Cowboys selected him in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft.

The numbers from the past two seasons support his argument about the Big Ten's recent run. 

CBS Sports ranks the Big Ten ahead of the SEC entering 2026

Downs' assessment of the recent results matches a recent conference ranking from CBS Sports' Cody Nagel, who placed the Big Ten at No. 1 and the SEC at No. 2 entering the 2026 season.

The Big Ten has won the past three national championships with three different programs. According to CBS Sports, the conference is also 10-7 against the SEC over the past two seasons and owns an 8-2 postseason record against its rival.

The SEC still has a strong case when it comes to depth and NFL talent. The conference led all leagues with 87 players selected in the 2026 NFL Draft, and its teams have also performed well in nonconference regular-season games.

Downs gave the Big Ten credit for its recent success, but he still views the SEC as the stronger conference overall because of its depth.

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Written by

Evince Das

Edited by

Rudra Dubey