I go one further and say the SEC West is especially tough. Going from the BCS to a Playoff system was supposed to fix the non-profit existent “bias” towards the SEC, particularly Alabama. Of course that didn’t work, because there isn’t one, now the same people are crying about the bias in the playoff system.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: The South is more passionate about football. Out stadiums typically seat 100,000. Not so anywhere else. We tailgate at our high school games. Where I live we have one high school in our county. Every Friday during football season all the businesses where Rebel garb such as all the different banks’ employees, Wal-Mart employees, pharmacies, etc. My son hasn’t played football for 2 years we still go to the football games. Most people do whether they have kids in school or not.
Football is just thought of differently here. That’s why we have better players, programs, etc. It is what it is. The SEC won the National Championship and went 9-2 in the Bowl Games.
You've never lived in Western Pennsylvania, or you would know the same applies there. But the pro team overshadows the local college teams (plus Pitt and PSU have had some issues lately).