Under the leadership of Brent Venables, the Sooners entered a new era this season as they transitioned from the Big 12 to the SEC. Venables was hired in 2022 after Lincoln Riley left for the USC Trojans, with the goal of preparing the Sooners for this move. However, for the second time in his three seasons, Oklahoma finished with a losing record.

ESPN's Paul Finebaum appears to have warmed up to the idea of the Big Ten being a premier football conference.

The Big Ten and SEC have played five head-to-head games during Bowl Season. The Big Ten is 4-1 in those contests, the only loss being Iowa ‘s 27-24 Music City Bowl loss to Missouri. The conference also boasts two CFP Semifinal participants ( Ohio State, Penn State) to the SEC’s one ( Texas ).

The Kentucky Wildcats finished the season 4-8, marking their worst performance since 2013, head coach Mark Stoops' first year. The team wrapped up the season by losing six of their last seven games and has not defeated an FBS opponent since their win against Ole Miss on Sept. 28, 2024, with a score of 20-17.

Paul Finebaum compared current conversations around Georgia to another SEC powerhouse with high expectations. On Monday's McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning, Finebaum addressed a perception that the SEC is no longer a dominant entity.