Maybe this year's Cotton Bowl Classic was more than just a Top-10 team against another that erased four-straight losing seasons.
Any indication of that came from the Ole Miss fans chanting, "S-E-C" throughout the game or Ole Miss offensive lineman Michael Oher having his conference letters written on the turf tape on his face.
Maybe the Bowl Championship Series National Championship game between No. 1 Oklahoma and No. 2 Florida is more than two high-scoring offenses colliding.
OU cornerback Dominique Franks showed that after saying the best offensive players are in the Big 12 Conference.
"The (Southeastern Conference), we're the best conference," Oher said. "We're tough, hard-nose every night. We showed that playing against Texas Tech. They weren't physical at all. We ran the ball down their throat. They were crying the whole time. We just showed them what SEC football is all about: hard-nosed."
The game between Ole Miss and Tech not only was a battle between this year's Cotton Bowl participants, but it also was between representatives from two of college football's most scrutinized conferences.
The same could be said for the BCS National Championship game between No. 1 Oklahoma and No. 2 Florida at 8 p.m. in Miami Gardens, Fla.
This season, Tech is one of seven Big 12 teams to make a bowl - four from the Big 12's South Division and three from the Big 12 North.
The SEC has eight teams in a bowl with five from the SEC East and three from the SEC West.
The two conferences seem to have the attention of the college football world at one point of the season every year.
Ole Miss and Tech's game was no different as this year's Cotton Bowl was the most attended in the bowl's 73 years in existence with 88,175 people in the stands.
With three of the last national champions coming from either conference, some debates surface which is the better conference.
While Ole Miss fans and Oher may believe the Cotton Bowl was a chance to showcase the SEC once again, Tech players tried not to focus on a battle between conferences.
Tech linebacker Brian Duncan said focusing on a game between conferences rather than a game between Ole Miss and Tech was a distraction the Red Raiders tried not to pay attention to.
"We tried to eliminate that out of our minds," he said. "Of course we were representing the Big 12 in this game. I still believe our team is the better team, but (Friday), they came out on top and they were the better team."
The Cotton Bowl was one of two bowls to feature an SEC team against a Big 12 team. The other is this year's national championship game.
The BCS title game showcases Heisman Trophy winner and Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford against one of the finalists that finished behind him in Florida's Tim Tebow. The other finalist was Texas' Colt McCoy.
With Texas winning in 2005, Florida in 2006 and LSU last season, the game's winner will mark the fourth-straight year the national champion has come from either conference.
The conference debate recently received extra attention with Franks' comments on Monday concerning the Sooner defense.
According to Big12Sports.com, Franks said the Big 12 has "the three best quarterbacks, the three best wide receivers" and "the three best tight ends in the country." When asked if that makes Tebow the fourth-best quarterback in the nation, Franks replied yes, according to the story.
Florida linebacker Brandon Spikes also commented on the differences between the two conferences, saying the OU offense was "a step slower" and "it will be different for them when they see the speed of our defense."
Outside the drama surrounding the national championship, so far this bowl season the Big 12 has a 4-2 record while the SEC sits at 5-2.
So an Oklahoma win could go a long way in furthering the argument.
Tech receiver Eric Morris said he does not take any chant from a crowd personal and he was quick to point out Ole Miss' good execution in the 47-34 loss to the Rebels. But he also said Ole Miss' defense was nothing like the defenses he faced this season.
"They executed their gameplan, but they're not faster than Oklahoma, Oklahoma State or Texas - the top tier defenses in the Big 12," he said. "I'm not taking anything away from them, but it wasn't personal for us"
Ole Miss quarterback Jevan Snead has seemed to make a name for himself after transferring from Texas to Ole Miss and leading the Rebels to a 10-win season.
Snead did not see much action while he was in the Big 12 as he went 26-of-49 for 371 yards and two touchdowns in 2006 as McCoy's backup.
Although the most extensive action he's seen has been as an SEC quarterback, the sophomore said both conferences deserve the attention they receive.
"We have a lot of pride in our conference, and we do think it's the best," the Stephenville native said. "Not trying to say anything bad about (the Big 12) because I played in it. I know it is a very tough conference as well. They're both great conferences and can't say anything bad about Tech or the Big 12 Conference because it's full of athletes just like the SEC is."
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