Ross Dellenger bluntly assesses the SEC and Big Ten's role in college football's future

Ross Dellenger had an interesting analogy for the SEC and Big Ten after the two conference's leaders met in Nashville
Ross Dellenger had an interesting analogy for the SEC and Big Ten after the two conference's leaders met in Nashville | Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The SEC and the Big Ten are, as Yahoo Sports' Ross Dellenger puts it, the drivers of the car into the future for college football. Dellenger said as much in response to a meeting between SEC commissioner Greg Sankey and B1G commissioner Tony Pettiti in Nashville on October 10.

"Put simply: The SEC and Big Ten plan to reshape college athletics," Dellenger prefaced before saying, "They are the drivers of the car now, the operators of the machinery, the captains of the ship.

"College sports has changed, is changing and will change. Though decisions were left for later, Thursday’s meeting served as another reminder: The SEC and Big Ten are in control of the change that awaits. They are driving the car down this bumpy road we call college sports. Will they eventually veer off together? Or will they tow everyone along? Will they end at a place of compromise? Or one of divide?"

Big Ten commissioner Tony Pettiti not in favor of 'Project Rudy'

One of the solutions to college football's growing concerns about revenue payouts that FSU and Clemson started in the summer with their legal action against the ACC is "Project Rudy," a reimagined college football landscape that'd feature private equity backing and a superleague format.

Pettiti doesn't sound impressed with the idea, though, potentially pouring cold water on it altogether.

"I have yet to see a single thing in any plan that contains things that we couldn't do ourselves and do with our A4 colleagues," Pettiti said of "Project Rudy."

That doesn't shut the possibility down altogether, but it certainly doesn't bode well for the sport moving in a super league direction.

Pettiti seems to think he can achieve that with Sankey from the sounds of it. That could lead to the "Power 2" becoming the overlords in the sport.

If that happens, the October 10 meeting in Nashville was beginning of the genesis of the sport's next evolution.