You're missing the entire point of how schedule strength actually works in the SEC. The week-to-week physical toll in this league is something the Big 12 can't replicate, and that's what the rankings reflect. Indiana gets that pass because they just won a natty in the toughest cofnerence, and they're reloading with top-tier croots and portal hits that BYU can't match. The Big 12's depth is a myth built on parity, NOT elite talent. Having seven teams with 8 wins means they're all beating up on each other in a middle-tier pool, not that they're facing multiple national contenders. When Ole Miss or Texas A&M are ranked ahead, it's because their rosters are built with higher-ceiling players, period. Their 85th scholarship player is a 4-star who would start for most Big 12 teams. The SEC West might have shifted, but you still have to survive Alabama, LSU, and now Oklahoma every single year, with the Georgia's of the world waiting in Atlanta. BYU's road trips in the Big 12 are tough, but they're not facing the same caliber of NFL-ready defensive lines or 5-star quarterbacks on a consistent basis. The non-conference argument is weak. Playing a solid Group of Five team doesn't move the needle compared to the SEC's standard of playing at least one premier Power Five opponent OOC. The system isn't broken. It recognizes that surviving the SEC grind, even with a down Vanderbilt, prepares you for the playoff in a way the Big 12 round-robin simply doesn't. BYU's path is harder because they have to prove they belong with the big boys, not because the metrics are unfair. The preseason rankings are about projecting talent and trajectory, and the SEC's track record of producing champions gives its teams the benefit of the doubt that the Big 12 hasn't earned.