Lane Kiffin Blames 9-Game SEC Grind for 3-Year Playoff Title Drought

5 articles · Updated · Fox News · May 21

Kiffin said on Barstool Sports that the SEC’s tougher bottom tier and planned nine-game league schedule leave its top teams more worn down than Big Ten rivals by playoff time.
He argued Big Ten contenders face only two or three hard games a year, can rest starters more often and carry a lower late-season play count into the postseason.
Those comments clash with Kiffin’s own scheduling record at Ole Miss, where he praised going 20-0 in nonconference games and used November tune-ups such as The Citadel and ULM to ease the load.
The criticism also lands as the Big Ten has won the last three national titles and no SEC team has reached the championship game in that span.
That broader slide has fueled scrutiny of SEC claims to playoff superiority after a 1-8 bowl record last season and a 0-3 playoff mark against non-SEC Power Four teams.

Are tough schedules the real reason for the SEC's fall, or are coaches like Lane Kiffin just making excuses?

Beyond football, how is the Big Ten's total athletic dominance reshaping the future of all college sports?

Has Big Ten money and expansion permanently ended the SEC's football dynasty?