Parity is the name of the game in the Wild, Wild West. Speaking of parity, I just have to mention again how amazing I think it is for the SEC to have nine bowl-eligible teams. This fact speaks volumes of how competitive the SEC is. The brand of football played in the SEC is more like the professional game played on Sundays throughout the land than any other conference. Think about it.
Any team can line up and beat the other on any day.
All of the coaches are proven, and nearly all could coach in the professional ranks if they wanted to. Furthermore, the SEC fanbase at most schools well surpasses the attendance at most pro football games. At the turn of the century, football coaches were paid a pittance for their time. Most often, the football coach was an administrator who donated his time to the team. Today, SEC coaches' salaries on average are 3 to 5 times greater than the university chancellor, and football programs continue to bring in millions of dollars in revenues to their respective athletic departments.