Why Tennessee's Josh Heupel didn't join Kirby Smart in Big Ten criticism

Tennessee football coach Josh Heupel isn’t ready to call half the Big Ten teams weak like Georgia ’s Kirby Smart did, choosing instead to accentuate the positives of the Vols ’ challenging SEC schedule. During a radio interview, Smart said SEC coaches believe the Big Ten has won three straight national titles because “they don’t have the grind that we do (in their conference schedule). ” It was a spicy comment, but Heupel didn't join in.

He had a more diplomatic answer when asked to size up the competition within the conferences during a Big Orange Caravan stop in Kingsport on April 30. “I think from top to bottom, if you look at NFL draft picks, there's a lot of different measuring sticks that point to the depth of this league and the difficulty of the league,” Heupel said. “Going on the road, you're facing a real road test every week.

The ninth game adds a lot of excitement, great games for our fans and for our players and staff. ” SEC apologists have pointed to the top-to-bottom strength of the league to explain the Big Ten’s rise. Michigan, Ohio State and Indiana have won the last three national titles.

The argument is that the SEC has more depth and therefore more challenging games throughout the season. By the time that they reach the playoff, they’re growing weaker while the Big Ten is still in its prime. If true, the SEC’s expansion to nine conference games in the 2026 season comes at a very inconvenient time.