There were a lot of indicators through the first four weeks of this season that suggested the SEC is the sport’s best conference. On Tuesday, collectively, the league’s members hammered home that point by securing the SEC/ACC Challenge title through nine games on Night 1 even though it’s a two-night event featuring 16 matchups.
Yes, the SEC started 9-0 in this made-for-TV event.
If not for Clemson upsetting Kentucky inside Littlejohn Coliseum, the ACC would be down 10-0. Either way, it’s done, because even if the ACC sweeps all six games Wednesday, it would still lose 9-7. The rough Tuesday also means ACC schools now have 49 losses this season. No other power conference has more than 29.
The SEC only has 17.
By extension, the SEC has a national-best seven schools in Wednesday morning’s updated CBS Sports Top 25 And 1 daily college basketball rankings — with Ole Miss being the day’s biggest advancer among league members after winning 86-53 at Louisville. Chris Beard’s Rebels jumped from No. 23 to No. 17 thanks to a body of work that now features two victories over top-55 teams at BartTorvik.com and a lone loss coming by two points to Purdue. In the preseason, during a weekday trip to Ole Miss I took, Beard, now in Year 2 in the SEC, told me this Ole Miss team reminded him of his second team at Texas Tech, which finished 27-10 after advancing to the Elite Eight of the 2018 NCAA Tournament.
So far, he doesn’t look wrong.
Michigan winning at Wisconsin on Tuesday compelled me to jump the Wolverines from unranked to No. 18 in the Top 25 And 1 while dropping the Badgers to No. 19. The movements connected to Ole MIss, Michigan and Wisconsin resulted in Pitt, Ohio State, Texas and Florida being pushed down in the rankings, no fault of their own. Oklahoma fans, if you’re wondering, your Sooners are still the de facto No. 27.
Top 25 And 1 rankings
In: Michigan
Out: Cincinnati
