ESPN’s 2026 FPI rankings are once again fueling accusations that the network is biased toward the SEC. With ESPN financially invested in promoting SEC football, can its rankings and analytics really be viewed as completely objective—or is the bigger problem that Fox, CBS, NBC and the Big Ten Network do not promote Big Ten football nearly as aggressively?
Zach Seyko of Locked On Nittany Lions and Jacob Goins of Locked On Hoosiers break down ESPN’s SEC-heavy rankings, why Big Ten teams may not receive the same national treatment and whether preseason models such as FPI should be taken seriously before any games are played.
The conversation also turns to the debate over Oregon head coach Dan Lanning being compared to former Penn State coach James Franklin. Penn State fans watched Franklin’s entire tenure unfold, and there are several major reasons why Lanning’s early success, recruiting and response to marquee losses make the comparison difficult to defend.
The show finishes with predictions for some of college football’s biggest 2026 coaching hot seats, including Michael Locksley at Maryland, Luke Fickell at Wisconsin, Lincoln Riley at USC, Mike Norvell at Florida State, Kirk Ferentz at Iowa and Bill Belichick at North Carolina.
Is ESPN genuinely biased toward the SEC, or is the network simply doing a better job marketing its college football product than the Big Ten’s television partners? Let us know what you think in the comments.
Photo credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
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0:00 ESPN’s SEC Bias and the 2026 FPI
1:56 Why ESPN Promotes the SEC So Aggressively
3:14 The Big Ten’s Media-Marketing Problem
6:18 Why Fox, CBS and NBC Need Their Own Analytics
8:34 Should Preseason Rankings Be Abolished?
9:51 FanDuel Ad
11:54 Dan Lanning Is Not the New James Franklin
15:03 Lanning’s Recruiting and Coaching Tree
17:06 The Biggest Difference Between Lanning and Franklin
20:35 College Football Coaches on the Hot Seat
21:17 Will Maryland Fire Michael Locksley?
22:39 Can Luke Fickell Save Wisconsin?
23:41 Lincoln Riley’s Margin for Error at USC
24:50 Mike Norvell’s Future at Florida State
25:53 When Will Kirk Ferentz Retire?
27:07 Will Bill Belichick Leave North Carolina?
28:31 Final Coaching Predictions
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