Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia has been absolutely blunt about which league is the most competitive, though fans are slamming him over it. Pavia claimed that the SEC is a league where he can shine, as there is not a lot of competition in the Big Ten. As expected, a firestorm erupted.
NEW: Vandy QB Diego Pavia eviscerates the Big Ten:
“You want to play with the best – you don’t want to play with the Big Ten. … You ignore those calls.
…the SEC, it’s like week after week. You’re going to get beat on. The Big Ten, you’re not gonna get beat on with the… pic.twitter.com/BGUcC7lwac
— On3 (@On3sports) June 17, 2025
Pavia claimed that if teams want to play with the best, they should not play against Big Ten teams, and fans couldn’t take it.
The SEC vs. Big Ten debate flared up as soon as the quarterback’s comments hit the internet.
“He’s just spittin’ facts to be honest,” wrote one fan.
He’s just spittin’ facts to be honest
— Tri-Star Network (@TriStar_Network) June 17, 2025
Another one wrote, “Bottom half of SEC is better than bottom half of B1G.”
Bottom half of SEC is better than bottom half of B1G
— Notre Dame’s Wine n Cheese (@nd_winencheese) June 17, 2025
“Why is this news? He’s not wrong,” wrote a fan in agreement.
A fan commented, “Dude is name dropping Purdue and Nebraska like Vandy isn’t the Purdue of the SEC.”
“SEC’s gotten so cocky that even Vandy thinks they can talk now,” noted another fan.
The SEC vs. Big Ten debate is not a new one. However, most analysts believe the SEC difficulty level remains higher than any other conference. That said, the Pavia will have more to prove now after his comments that put Big Ten in negative light.
Diego Pavia’s SEC over Big Ten Claims
Pavia claimed that the SEC is much more competitive than the Big Ten. He added that Big Ten teams could not beat “Purdue and Nebraska,” two teams with less-than-stellar records over the past few seasons.
SEC’s gotten so cocky that even Vandy thinks they can talk now 😭
— CFB Kings (@CFBKings) June 17, 2025
Meanwhile, others have pointed out that Ohio State, the current national champions, hail from the Big Ten conference, while a few others agreed with the Vanderbilt quarterback. Most of the commenters were roasting Pavia for his take, however, with many making fun of his school for not being that much of a football powerhouse in its own conference.
Ohio State, a Big Ten team, won the NCAA national championship back in January as the No. 8 seed. The team triumphed over No. 9 seed Tennessee, No. 1 seed Oregon, and No. 5 seed Texas. The Buckeyes then took on No. 7 seed Notre Dame, entering the final game as the favorite in that matchup.
RELATED: Why Vanderbilt’s ‘Clutch QB’ Diego Pavia Should Terrify SEC Defenses in 2025
Despite Diego Pavia’s comments about the Big Ten not being as competitive as SEC teams, Oregon, another Big Ten team, came into the national tournament not just as the No. 1 seed but also as the No. 1-ranked team in the country. Georgia, the SEC’s top team, entered the tournament as the No. 2 seed but was eliminated by Notre Dame in the quarterfinals.
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