As the Florida Gators’ new coach dismisses the ACC and Big 12 as elite contenders, his bold claims about a "Power Two" hierarchy spark a heated conference rivalry.
New Florida Gators head coach Jon Sumrall will face a much more challenging schedule this season than he had during his time with Tulane.
The Green Wave suffered two losses last season before making the College Football Playoff. Ole Miss routed Tulane 45-10 in September, and UTSA pulled off a 48-26 upset in October.
One of Tulane's best wins last season came against Duke. The Green Wave knocked off the Blue Devils 34-27 in September. Duke would go on to win the ACC championship despite having five losses in the regular season.
During the SEC Media Days event in Tampa, Florida, on Wednesday, Sumrall told On3's Brett McMurphy that the Big Ten and SEC are the only two power conferences in college football. He thinks the ACC and Big 12 aren't that much ahead of the American Conference.
"There is a clear delineation. I’m not trying to be a jerk, but I think there’s clearly the ‘Power Two.’ I’m not knocking any league," Sumrall said.
"And then there’s a couple behind that (the Big 12 and ACC), and the American’s right there. Like last year’s ACC champion was who? Duke. We beat ‘em in Tulane."
Sumrall's assessment stands in contrast to Duke head coach Manny Diaz, who told reporters at the ACC Kickoff media event in Charlotte last week that he felt the Blue Devils were insulted by the narrative surrounding his team winning the ACC last year. He felt Duke should have made it to the CFP over a higher-ranked Group of 6 program.
“What also is deserved is that whoever wins this competition in this league, and what should be the discourse in this league, is that the conference champion should go to the CFP," Diaz said.
"That should happen. It’s respect for the league, it’s respect for what it means to play in this league, it’s respect to be one of the final two standing in this league."
The respect for the ACC and Big 12 has taken a hit in recent years, especially since Oklahoma and Texas left the Big 12 for the SEC. The Big Ten has won the last three national championships.
While Miami made the national championship and nearly won the title, the overall power of the ACC isn't as strong as the Big Ten or SEC. Still, Tulane wasn't a legitimate threat in the CFP, losing in a 41-10 blowout to Ole Miss in the first round.
