ESPN Host Matt Barrie Takes Shot At Big Ten While Supporting SEC

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College football's last three national champions hail from the Big Ten, but Matt Barrie thinks the SEC still maintains one notable advantage.

Georgia head coach Kirby Smart suggested last week that the SEC could "break away" and operate on its own. Barrie discussed those comments with former Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy on theAlways College Football podcast.

The ESPN host explained why the SEC could be better positioned than the Big Ten to form its own college football entity. While the Big Ten boasts some powerhouses, the SEC runs deeper from top to bottom.

"Here's the difference between the Big Ten and the SEC," Barrie said. "The SEC's automatic wins used to be Vanderbilt and, when Dan Mullen was there it wasn’t Mississippi State anymore, but Mississippi State. Those used to be the two games where you’d go in and feel like, 'I feel pretty good about our chances to get a win.'"

"For the SEC to say they can break off and do their own thing, that'd be pretty entertaining. Because every team is pretty damn good, whereas the Big Ten, you're kind of a top-heavy league with nothing in the middle or bottom."

Could the SEC REALLY break away? @GregMcElroy and… pic.twitter.com/Jha2xKIhtJ

— Always College Football (@AlwaysCFB) June 2, 2026

"You don't really get an off week"

Barrie sees no easy wins in the SEC anymore. Mississippi State improved in Jeff Lebby's second season as head coach, and Vanderbilt collected a program-record 10 wins last year before landing prized recruit Jared Curtis.

"Now Jeff Lebby's got Mississippi State as a thorn in everybody’s side. And now you’ve got Vanderbilt coming off a playoff (push). They just flipped a five-star quarterback from Georgia to come play at Vanderbilt," Barrie continued. "Those are your two outs? Those are your two easy teams? South Carolina, what were they, 4-8 a year ago? They’ve got as much talent as anyone on their roster.

"So the point being, you don’t really get an off week. You just don’t."

Barrie contrasted that situation with the Big Ten. While the conference boasts some juggernauts, six teams finished with five or fewer wins last season.

"Big Ten, I don't know," Barrie said. "But I know Oregon's a mainstay and I know Ohio State is a mainstay, and I know Penn State and Michigan every other year, and USC with Lincoln Riley. That’s all I know about that league, right?"

This story was originally published by The Spun on Jun 2, 2026, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add The Spun as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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