The ACC and Big 12 are better than their top-line reputation.
Context
Ty distinguishes “lesser at the very top” from “bad from top to bottom.” The ACC's depth and Miami's playoff resistance, plus the Big 12's range of credible contenders, make both leagues more than easy-schedule caricatures. The hosts leave room for the SEC to have the strongest upper crust while rejecting the idea that these conferences are clearly inferior overall.