Despite recent substantial changes to the landscape of the Big Ten and Big 12, the SEC football is still currently the foremost brand in college sports. You might not know that, though, based on the recently unprompted and possibly pointed comments of league commissioner Greg Sankey.

When refuting claims that the SEC only added Oklahoma and Texas at the behest of their media partner ESPN, Sankey appeared to land a blow on his NCAA competitors for how they have taken advantage of all the Pac-12 chaos.

“We have this contiguous group. We don’t need to be in four time zones to generate interest on the West Coast,” he said on The Paul Finebaum Show, via On3.com's Andrew Graham. Fans are likely to interpret that statement a certain way. After reigning supreme for so long, it feels beneath Sankey and the conference to throw stones elsewhere.

Tywin Lannister said it best. A lion does not concern themselves with the opinions of sheep. Though, maybe that's the problem. There could be another, maybe two lions beginning to emerge. In which case, Greg Sankey might be indirectly acknowledging that the gap is closing a bit.

With the Pac-12 shattering into pieces, USC, UCLA, Oregon and Washington are all heading to the Big Ten, and the Big 12 is welcoming in Utah, Colorado, Arizona and Arizona State. There are geographical conflicts that could dampen nationwide excitement, to Sankey's point, but there should also be several new rivalries being born.

Expansion has run rampant all across the country and could prove to be a long-term negative to the sport. Make no mistake, though, SEC football and the conference as a whole have also played a big role in all this seismic change.