Depth of Contention: The SEC is set up for unprecedented 'cannibalization' possibilities in 2025

Every year the cries ring out from the stands after big non-conference wins. “S-E-C! S-E-C! S-E-C!” But does the SEC have what it takes to produce more quality competition for the top spot this year?

That’s a position that Josh Pate took on Sunday night on Josh Pate’s College Football Show. He explained what he meant.

“I have never seen depth of contention like this,” Pate said. “So if you look at the odds to win this league, people have always said the SEC is deep. What they’ve meant by that is the No. 1 team when they go play the No. 8 or 9 team, that’s a tougher opponent than the 8 or the 9 in the Big Ten or the ACC. There’s quality of competition.

“But there has not been depth of contention. Depth of contention has been void. Because there’s been an alpha or maybe a 1A or 1B — it’s normally been ‘Bama or Georgia, or in 2019 LSU — and you’ve known there’s no way the No. 6 team in this league is going to beat that No. 1 for the SEC Championship. This year is different. I promise you I’ve not seen it like this.”

Pate pointed out that in 10 of the last 11 years, Alabama or Georgia has won the SEC. LSU in 2019 with a legendary quarterback in Joe Burrow was the exception.

Can this year produce more depth of contention in the SEC? Pate thinks so.

“This is a year where Texas is favored to win it, but if you go No. 2, No. 3, No. 4, No. 5, No. 6, No. 7 is Ole Miss — I can make a case for them,” Pate said. “Oklahoma‘s No. 9. I’ve got them top-10 in my JP Poll. So you know I can make a case for Oklahoma. South Carolina‘s down there at 11. And they may have the best offensive and defensive player in the league by the end of the year.”

Can LSU make some noise under Brian Kelly? The Tigers have a veteran returning quarterback in Garrett Nussmeier. How about Florida with up-and-coming star DJ Lagway? Oklahoma with John Mateer? And so on and so forth in the SEC.

“So the depth of contention, the amount of teams that can legitimately win this conference, I’ve never seen it this deep,” Pate said. “I don’t know that MeeMaw ever saw it that competitively deep. So the separation or the cannibalization. That’s the theme in this league this year and every year. Do we have a situation where by Week 8 you look at me and I look at you and we say, ‘No one is beating ‘Bama, no one’s beating Texas.’ Or they’re on a collision course but outside of those two teams no one’s going to touch them.

“I don’t think it’s going to be like that. I think it’s going to be another cannibalization special. However, we do reserve the right to watch the games and change our minds.”