The SEC wants nothing more than to see a representative reclaim the national title. Texas football lands in the driver seat to potentially make it happen as the No. 1 ranked team. But now the conference could be at a new advantage compared to the Big Ten via the College Football Playoffs.
Or even the other Power Four conferences.
College football insider for ESPN Heather Dinich revealed on Thursday that the College Football Playoff committee will include a new data point metric. This metric will take place starting in November, when teams make their push for a conference title.
Dinich outlined how this new metric can help separate teams in the same league with similar records. But based on the quality of the teams they play in the league. The purpose is to make it helpful for teams that never faced each other during the season, but could be fighting for playoff spots in the 12-team tournament.
Article Continues BelowYet some fans or even teams may perceive that as the metric catering to the SEC. Last season saw backlash for 10-2 Vanderbilt and 9-3 Texas. The latter defeated CFP teams Texas A&M and Oklahoma in SEC play before getting snubbed.
Such a metric even likely makes it harder for multiple Group of Five contenders to sneak in, or even one in general. The 2025 playoffs saw Tulane (American Athletic Conference) and James Madison (Sun Belt) make it in as the lowest seeds.
The Big Ten currently has dominated the CFB landscape the last three season with Michigan, Ohio State and Indiana winning the last three national titles. Seven teams from the conference own a top 25 ranking as of Thursday. IU is the highest ranked one at No. 5. But fans will watch closely where the metric favors come November.