When aTm and Mizzou came into the SEC, I had several work colleagues who were alumni of those schools. They were all puffed out about having beaten SEC teams recently in bowl games or what we then called "preseason" games, and said the SEC wasn't any tougher than any other league.
I warned them that the games they referenced included multiple weeks of prep time and the best chance of being fully healthy -- not only healing of more serious injuries, but also just not being bruised and scraped up. And sure, under those circumstances, you're really talking about healthy first stringers against healthy first stringers, and teams from the Big 12 could absolutely compete.
Then I followed up with the idea that the toughest thing about the SEC was the grind, and that in November nobody is truly healthy. Late in the season, even if they aren't missing playing time, every single starter has bumps, bangs, bruises and strains that don't appear in the injury report. So it's no longer about just the first string, but also about the quality of depth....which I seriously doubted that they had.
Further, other than Vandy there are no conference games that amount to an off week...and even Vandy can occasionally sneak up on you.
My colleagues laughed and laughed, and said stuff that amounted to that Mizzou DL calling the SEC style of play, "old man football." I said, "Wait 'til November and tell me how that's going for you."
At the end of the year, even with the miracle on grass game for aTm in Tuscaloosa, they said they understood what I was talking about.
I think UTw and OU will do fine early. Let's see how they look the last month. I think they're in for an awakening.
