Big Ten believes its reputation as a top-heavy league is unfair as it claims conference supremacy

In the debate over which college football conference is strongest, the Southeastern Conference argues its superior depth makes up for the Big Ten winning the last three national titles.The Big Ten calls its reputation as a top-heavy conference unfair.Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti considers those three College Football Playoff championships — from Michigan in 2023, Ohio State in 2024 and Indiana in 2025 — testaments to the league’s strength from top to bottom.“You cannot send your top teams out into the CFP unless they’ve played — and have them be successful, which we have been very successful — if they’re not going through a gauntlet in the regular season,” Petitti said this week. “This idea that the middle of our conference isn’t hard is just not right.”The balance of power between college football’s heavyweight conferences has been a major talking point at the leagues’ media days.Petitti spoke to reporters while standing beside the Big Ten’s three recent CFP trophies. Illinois co