Is the SEC the deepest?

One item of discussion in the Sports department this week has been the strength of the SEC, relative to the rest of the country. While I do believe the best football is played in this part of the country in high school and college, I don't agree that the conference is annually the best in the nation.

I will say the teams are the most competitive with each other and the balance of power doesn't swing wildly from year to year. While Texas might well go unbeaten in the Big XII and might be able to in the SEC, Auburn, Florida and Tennessee -- if those are the best in the SEC -- are not far and away superior to the bulk of their conference.

That being said, it's no more of a story in the Big XII when Kansas beats Nebraska than it is in the SEC when Vanderbilt beats Florida.