The SEC usually has 4-5 pretty solid teams in the middle, and two top fiveish teams. This year, the third best team is Missouri, and somehow that name doesn't really provide much helmet these days. Fourth best is LSU, then Ole Miss, I guess, and then Tennessee, and then ... not much.
For perception, you want your top teams to be helmet teams. Imagine the top four in the B1G were Purdue/NW/Minny/Maryland. They wouldn't SEEM that good even if they were.