Grade the take: Does the Big Ten own college football after Ohio State's national title?

This year’s College Football Playoff broke ESPN’s Paul Finebaum. Finebaum, who’s the SEC’s most staunch supporter, had to admit maybe the SEC isn’t the top dog in college football anymore. 

The way Finebaum defended the SEC, clamoring they were finessed out of a College Football Playoff spot … or two, I never thought he’d not only admit the SEC might not be the most dominant, but that the other power conference has taken the crown. 

With Ohio State winning the national championship on Monday night, it’s the Big Ten’s second consecutive national championship. Maybe Finebaum has a point. Maybe there is a new king of college football. 

The Big Ten isn’t just another conference anymore, they’re THE conference. And if Finebaum can admit that, then maybe there is a shift in the dynamics of college football. I guess that’s the only good thing to come from conference realignment and NIL. 

Ohio State’s national championship sheds light on the dynamic shift in college football

The college football season is officially over. And we can finally admit the Big Ten runs college football. They had the most teams from their conference in the College Football Playoff, they had half the semifinal teams and ultimately won a national championship. 

Last year, it was Michigan’s dominant run that gave the Big Ten its first national championship since Ohio State won in the 2014 season. How did the conference that was always looked at as lesser than the SEC take over college football?

Well it started when they plucked the top Pac-12 teams to join them for one of the two super conferences. It ended with NIL now balancing the scales among the wealthy college football heavyweights. 

Now that college football is the wild west when it comes to paying players – though things seem to be leveling out with revenue sharing – tradition doesn’t carry as much weight. Players nowadays are more focused on the pay check they’ll have than playing in a conference that has historically been great. 

The difference between Georgia and Ohio State? Who can cut the bigger check? That wasn’t always the case. It’s how Ohio State was able to steal two of its biggest transfer portal additions from SEC programs. 

Now the pressure’s on the SEC to look better than it did this year in the first rendition of the 12-team playoff. They can’t have just two teams get in again. Especially when the Big Ten had twice that. 

The SEC had a good run. The Big Ten has stepped up to the plate. That said, it’s going to take more than a two-year run to be considered the true kings of college football. But after winning the last two national championships, the conference is well on its way to running college football.

Grade the take: B+