Pearl: Big Ten football not as strong compared to depth of SEC

Auburn, Ala. — Auburn basketball coach Bruce Pearl is an outspoken individual and that often brings plenty of angry keyboard warriors to their phones.

Pearl joined the Gary Parrish Show earlier this week to discuss his No. 1 Tigers basketball team, potential top seed in upcoming NCAA Tournament and more. But, not many had him sharing his thoughts about college football and the SEC’s depth compared to other conferences around the country.

Texas Longhorns coach Steve Sarkisian before a game with the Arkansas Razorbacks in Fayetteville, Ark. / Ted McClenning-AllSECfb Images

“Top to bottom, Big Ten football is not as strong as the SEC,” Pearl said. “Go to Mississippi State when they’re having a bad year, and half your kids are in the hospital when you leave the game. It is every single night. I thought our SEC football teams were exhausted.”

One major reason the SEC was so beat up toward the middle and end of 2024 was due to having 16 teams almost evenly matched. Mississippi State certainly had a bad season in Year One under Jeff Lebby but remained competitive thanks to its up-tempo offense.

Every week each SEC team is in a gauntlet that will test their depth, desire and will to win. Texas was able to catch Arizona State late after the Sun Devils mounted a huge comeback to force overtime.

Georgia head coach Kirby Smart shouts to his players during the Sugar Bowl against Texas on Jan. 1, 2019 in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Georgia had to play Alabama, Texas, Ole Miss and Tennessee during the regular season and that only scratches the surface of its schedule. While there are different caliber of teams in the conference, parity remains closer than ever before among SEC programs which makes this league the toughest in all of FBS.

“Now, you’re at Ohio State, or you’re at Penn State — two teams that got deep into the playoffs, hey only had two or three games on the entire schedule that were like about seven or eight games for Ole Miss or Alabama or Auburn, or any of the SEC teams,” Pearl said. “And I think those football guys were exhausted.”