The reason that the gap between the SEC and the rest of the conferences has shrunken over the past few seasons is an obvious one: defense.

A lot of these high-powered offenses in the SEC are being run at the expense of their defenses, something the rest of the country has been familiar with over the past 7-8 years. But when these high-powered, spread-type offenses met up with a big, strong, physical SEC defense, they usually suffered the same unsuccessful fate.

SEC defenses have fallen off, though. 2011 it was still mostly a defensive league, especially at the top. 2012 it started to turn. 2013 it was almost all offense.

Imagine when the SEC defenses get really good again. Because it will happen. These things go in cycles and trends. Elite defenses are what separated the SEC from the rest of the country before, and it will be back to that again soon.

When that trend reverses (like soon, once Muschamp and maybe Pelini sign on as defensive coordinators at schools in conference), the SEC will go back to being miles better than the rest of the country.

LSU, Alabama, and Ole Mill should all have nasty, physical defenses next year. Arkansas should have a very formidable one, as well. If schools like Auburn and Texas A&M want to keep up in this conference, they better turn it around defensively. Because the rest of the conference is about to.

A&M came into the conference with their fast-paced spread offense at the perfect time, when SEC defenses weren't as good as they've been over the past 10 years. Yet, they still never finished higher than 3rd in the West. They need to be doing everything they possibly can to land Muschamp or Pelini, IMO. They have a lot of young talent coming up on that side of the ball, but they have to scheme and develop. If not, they'll become a cellar dweller very quickly.