re: What must the other conferences do to compete with SEC football?

The main thing is that the top college programs need to get back to elite status. USC, Texas, Nebraska, Penn State, and Miami have all fallen off big-time from where they used to be. And while Michigan, Oklahoma, and Florida State have solid programs, they all have the potential to be much stronger than they are. Notre Dame and Ohio State are the only traditional powers that are living up to their potential right now. Everybody else is either struggling or treading water. If the top programs from other conferences performed at a higher level, the SEC wouldn't be so far ahead of the pack.