The reader and old friend loves to debate, and occasionally with impressive wisdom, that the Big Ten is equal or superior to the Southeastern Conference when it comes to football, though her best arguments usually fall along academic lines, as if we concern ourselves much with that Down South.
Naturally, a quick glance at the history of the seven-year-old College Football Playoff records prior to Sunday's announced field, largely, if somewhat grudglingly, silences her.
For a quick refresher course, merely digest the following numbers:
Total number of wins by the Big Ten in those seven years counting both the semifinals and finals: 3.
Total number of SEC wins in that same category: 10.
Total number of championships by the Big Ten: 1, by Ohio State, that one coming in the CFP's inaugural season in 2014.
Total number of SEC crowns: 4, three won by Alabama's Crimson Tide and one by LSU.
Total number by the rest of college football: 2, both won by the Clemson Tigers of the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Yet rarely, if ever, has there been a better year to settle this debate - if you Midwesterners insist on calling it that since a debate usually requires educated talking points by both sides and the aforementioned scores of 10-3 and 4-1 would seem to make that a moot point - than this year's bowls.
Of the 13 SEC schools out of 14 total - Vanderbilt missed it, which just shows how much of a role academics should play in college football - that will go bowling this year, four will face Big Ten opponents.
It's also worth noting at this time that while the SEC had 13 of its 14 teams bowl eligible, the Big Ten could muster but nine. As for claims by my friend that part of the Big Ten's superiority is the academic reputation of its member schools, if you're so concerned with academics why do you keep calling yourselves the Big Ten when you have 14 members? Even by some voodoo, soccer-trophy math concept, 14 isn't really in the same neighborhood as 10.
But back to this year's SEC-Big Ten bowl pairings.
The Tennessee Vols are first up on December 30, facing a dangerous Purdue squad in Nashville's Music City Bowl. It could be argued that no team in college football more dramatically surprised the guess-perts than the Big Orange , which most prognosticators figured to finish 5-7 before they rolled to a 7-5 record (4-4 in the SEC) that included averaging 38.8 points, good for ninth nationally, and winning three of its final four starts by an average score of 50-28.
Purdue's good and coached by Jeff Brohm - whom the Vols reportedly once considered a candidate for the UT job durning their many coaching searches the past decade - but UT's better and should prevail by something along the lines of 41-28.
Next up on the importance meter is Arkansas-Penn State in the Outback Bowl on New Year's Day. Hogs have overachieved all year. Penn State is coached by former Vanderbilt coach James Franklin. Penn State beat Auburn, which humbled the Razorbacks. Give a shaky nod to the Nittany Lions by a 21-17 margin.
The third matchup in this SEC-Big Ten debate is Kentucky versus Iowa in the Citrus Bowl, also on New Year's Day. UK coach Mark Stoops both played and coached at Iowa. The Hawkeyes just got spanked by Michigan in the Big Ten title game. The Wildcats are 9-3 to Iowa's 10-3. After this one, UK will stand 10-3 to the Hawkeyes' 10-4. Make it Big Blue 31, Big Ten 24.
Now to the game that really matters, both for argument's sake and the pride of each league: CFP third-seed Georgia versus second-seeded Michigan. If any two teams mirrored each other both offensively and defensively, it's the Bulldogs and Wolverines. Both have solid offenses and rock-solid defenses featuring Heisman hopeful defensive linemen in Georgia's Jordan Davis and Michigan's Aidan Hutchison.
The Wolverines may have produced the season's most impressive individual win when they bested Ohio State the weekend before Thanksgiving. The Dawgs have the sport's best living, breathing mascot in Uga X. In a close one to decide the Big Ten-SEC argument for this year, if no other, making it Georgia 28, Michigan 24, and SEC 3-1 in bowl matchups against the Big Ten.
As the undisputed king of the SEC - Alabama coach Nick Saban, who a long, long time ago coached at the Big Ten's Michigan State before wising up and taking his talents to, first, LSU, then Bama - was discussing being the No. 1 seed in this year's CFP when he said of the Tide's presence in seven of the eight fields to date: "You only have four spots, and I'm not apologizing for trying to have a program like a lot of people try to have that can get in the playoff as many times as possible."
Both SEC programs in these playoffs - Alabama and Georgia - should reach this year's title game. And unlike the 2017 season - when the Bulldogs lost to the Tide in overtime - Georgia should prevail on Monday night, January 10, in Indianapolis by a 31-21 score. Yet whichever SEC school wins, it will be just another example of why the league is the nation's best by a wide margin. Yet again.
Contact Mark Wiedmer at mwiedmer@timesfreepress.com.