The past several years have seen an unprecedented number of changes in the college football landscape, with the Football Bowl Subdivision’s top conferences expanding to levels that border on super-conferences.
The most recent shift coming into the 2024 season has created a pair of behemoths — the Southeastern Conference now with 16 teams and the Big Ten with 18 — that include a majority of the nation’s top programs.
With this in mind, The Athletic’s Scott Dochterman and Seth Emerson responded to a mailbag question that pondered the outcome of a basketball-like SEC-Big Ten challenge series.
In such a scenario, the two leagues would line up the matchups based on intraconference ranking, with 16 teams playing against their respectively-ranked opponent — which means the bottom two ranked teams in the Big Ten would be omitted. All apologies to the Indiana Hoosiers and Purdue Boilermakers.
Where Florida football fits in
The Florida Gators are ranked No. 12 among their SEC peers, which matches them up with the Minnesota Golden Gophers for this thought exercise. Based on the authors’ outline for the series, the two teams would face off in Ames, Iowa.
“The closest power-conference campus to Dinkytown is Iowa State, which is also the site of Billy Napier ’s biggest win as Louisiana’s coach.”
Dochterman’s take
“In three games against the Gophers while at Wisconsin , Florida quarterback Graham Mertz never threw a touchdown and suffered a concussion in the only meeting the Badgers won. That unfortunate trend extends to this matchup for the Gators.
“Plus, the Gophers have the best little-known receiver in the country in Daniel Jackson.”
Dochterman predicts that Minnesota would prevail over Florida, 34-24.
Emerson’s take
“I spent some time around the Gophers this offseason and like the potential for immediate chemistry under new quarterback Max Brosmer. But the Gators will be improved this year; it’s just that their SEC schedule will make it hard to show that improvement in the standings.
“On a somewhat neutral site, their talent should win out.”
Emerson predicts that Florida would sneak by Minnesota, 23-21.
Overall results
According to Dochterman’s final tally, the SEC and Big Ten would finish the series knotted up at an even 8-8 record. However, Emerson favors the SEC with a 10-6 record which bodes much better for the Gators and their fellow conference brethren.
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