Whether you admit it or not, the SEC’s dominance isn’t what it used to be. The Big Ten has seen a surge in dominance, winning three consecutive titles from 2023 to 2025, ending a long period of SEC superiority. But does that mean B1G is the best? When asked about it, Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer was nothing but candid.
“I just use the words ‘perception is reality,’ right? Talk about the top end; that is the perception. So you gotta kind, do a look-in and figure it out,” said DeBoer during his Thursday appearance on The Next Round. “From a standpoint of who’s winning national championships, and the expectation, kind of as an SEC as a whole, is to win championships—that’s real—how am I going to argue that?”
“I think that the conference (Big 10) is in a very strong spot. When you look top to bottom, you know how competitive it is. I’ve experienced it now for two years: how competitive it is each and every single week when you step onto the football field. We just got to have those teams that can kind of get through the playoffs and win that championship, which obviously we haven’t done. So that’s a challenge for us at Alabama. Obviously, that’s a challenge for the SEC.”
Following the conclusion of the 2025 season, the B1G has 33 national titles, while the SEC has 27. But the intriguing fact is that between 2006 and 2022, the SEC won 13 of 17 available national championships, primarily driven by dynasties at Alabama, Georgia, and Florida. Even if you compare the best in the SEC and the B1G, the SEC is ahead.
Alabama holds the record for the most national titles won by any single school with 13 championships, while Michigan leads the Big Ten with 10 national titles. The Big Ten’s current “three-peat” is the first time since the era of World War II. Meanwhile, the SEC has achieved this type of “three-peat” multiple times in its history, including a remarkable seven-year streak.
Alabama Coach Kalen DeBoer on if the Big Ten is now the best conference in college sports:
“Perception is reality, right? – From the standpoint of who’s winning national championships… that’s real – How am I going to argue that?” pic.twitter.com/T3RR0HSNdV
— The Next Round (@NextRoundLive) April 9, 2026
DeBoer’s admission is reflected in the complex 2025 CFP picture. While the SEC boasted more teams in the field (five to the Big Ten’s three), it was the Big Ten that secured two automatic byes and produced the postseason’s only undefeated team, signaling a clear shift in top-tier power.
Now, to bring back that old version of the SEC, Kalen DeBoer’s team seems to be getting ready, entering the coach’s third season with the Tide.
The SEC coach knows his next step
This Saturday, Alabama will take the spotlight at A-Day inside Bryant–Denny Stadium, but the showcase is not the finish line. Alabama’s head coach stressed that his team still has multiple practices left to sharpen its edge.
“We still have four practices left, so just a little over two-thirds done, so to me there’s still a lot of work that needs to be done between now and when we finish next Thursday,” said Kalen DeBoer.
However, DeBoer likes the trajectory he’s seeing from his roster, and the consistency level has climbed steadily. “I really don’t feel there’s been a drop-off,” added the Alabama head coach. With new arrivals pushing veterans across the depth chart, DeBoer sees opportunity in uncertainty. Speaking about contenders Austin Mack and Keelon Russell, he stressed their strong overall spring.
“They’ve been very, very sharp all spring long,” said DeBoer. This season, Alabama has a solid chance to become a legitimate title contender with their 2026 roster. But time will tell the actual story.
