The SEC just put three teams in the top ten of the final AP poll. The Big 12 had zero. That's not a narrative, that's a result. Your "gauntlet" is a bunch of 8-4 teams beating each other, which isn't quality, it's mediocrity. Georgia and Alabama would run through that lague undefeated every single year. The portal can't replace five-star talent, and the draft drain proves the SEC has the players everyone wants. The middle of the SEC would be contenders in the Big 12. You're confusing parity with a lack of elite teams.