SEC faces strong challenge from ACC as college football's top conference

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – When LSU's Ed Orgeron matter of factly declared the SEC as "the best conference in the United States," he was mostly preaching to the choir in the league's backyard.

But the Southeastern Conference's once-undisputed status as college football's top league is facing a strong challenge from the ACC.

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Perhaps the SEC’s dominance is losing ground. The SEC has lost two times in the last four years to the ACC.

Clemson toppled the Tide on a last-second touchdown at the national championship game in January. Florida State claimed the title with a win over Auburn four years earlier.

"If you're trying to hit a moving target on this date and say, 'Is the SEC the best league right now?', the answer is no," SEC Network analyst and talk show host Paul Finebaum said Tuesday at media days. "I think it's probably the ACC.”

The ACC enjoyed an 8-3 postseason romp while the SEC's 12 bowl teams managed just a .500 postseason record.

The ACC has national championship coaches in Clemson's Dabo Swinney and Florida State's Jimbo Fisher, along with ex-SEC head men Mark Richt (Miami) and Bobby Petrino (Louisville).

Outside of Nick Saban at Alabama there isn’t a clear cut favorite for who would be the second best coach in the SEC. Historically Florida, Georgia and LSU are some of the upper tier schools in the conference but combined their coaches haven’t been at their programs longer than Saban has been in Tuscaloosa.

The ACC media days may not draw the type of national spotlight as their brethren from the SEC but maybe it’s time to change that.

Thursday is day one of the ACC media days and Florida State head coach Jimbo Fisher will be joined by quarterback Deondre Francois and defensive back Derwin James. 

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