For the first time in the history of the USA Today’s Coaches’ Poll,  a reliable National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) football poll, not a single Big Ten (NCAA Division-I Football Conference) team is ranked. The Big Ten was once known for being the strongest and most competitive Division I Football Conference, and a direct feeder of top players into the NFL. Teams such as Michigan, Nebraska, and Ohio State, are the key teams in the Big Ten that have been most directly responsible for the conference’s previous glory. Michigan, Nebraska, and Ohio State are all in the top five on the all-time win list (UM- 895, Nebraska-846, OSU-825). But why is it that of all these historically dominant teams, no Big Ten school is ranked in the top 25?

One key reason for the decline of the Big Ten has been the rise of the SEC (Southeastern Conference).  Two SEC teams can be currently found in the top five of the Coaches’ Poll, and four are in the top ten.  In addition to having more highly ranked teams, more SEC players are also getting drafted. In the first round of the 2012 NFL Draft, five of the top ten picks came from SEC schools. The Big Ten saw only four of its players drafted in round one, and all four were pick 23 and higher. Why is it that the SEC is so much better than the Big Ten (and everyone else)?

There are a few key reasons for this. Reasons include the climate of the south, and the recent growth of the southern population. It is typically warmer in the south a considerably longer time more than it is in the Northeast and Midwest.  Because of this weather difference, kids in the south can play football throughout the winter and spring. There is also a spring football season at some southern high schools.  The effect of this is evident when looking at the top players in the country. According to the ESPN top 150, (ESPN’s ranking of the top 150 high school football players) eight of the top ten high school players are from Florida, Alabama, Georgia, and Texas.

The bottom line is that with the population in the south growing, and more kids playing more football, the South is generating more good football players. These good football players are choosing to stay close to home, causing an abundance of talent in the SEC, and therefore a more dominant conference.