Provo • Debate and disagreement are part of the fabric of college football throughout the country as fans fill message boards, online newspaper-comment sections and sports talk-radio airwaves with everything from the evils of the Bowl Championship Series to whether student-athletes deserve to be paid.

But when it comes to deciding which is the top football conference in the land, there's really no argument, at least not in the past five years.

It is the Southeastern Conference.

"Yeah, as much as it pains me to say that, it sure is," said BYU linebacker Brandon Ogletree, a proud Texan. "What have they won, five [BCS national titles] in a row?"

In less than a week, the independent BYU Cougars get a taste of college football's premier conference — even if they are facing one of the league's mid- to lower-tier teams — when they travel to Oxford, Miss., to take on Ole Miss for the first time (2:45 p.m. MDT, ESPN). The Cougars are a slight favorite, but it will be a fearsome test, given that a crowd of close to 62,000 SEC football-crazed fans will be cheering on the Rebels in weather conditions (extreme heat and humidity) rare in the high, dry altitude of Provo.

"We're not going to be in awe down there, but we have a lot of respect for Ole Miss, and obviously the conference they play in. It's the best there is," said BYU quarterback Jake Heaps.

Not only have SEC teams won the past five BCS national titles, they've won seven since the system was instigated 13 years ago, and 21 overall. The SEC has clearly risen to the top of the college football heap since 2006, with accomplishments that put the other automatic-qualifying conferences such as the Pac-12, the Big 12 and the Big Ten to shame.

"You never know how it is going to unfold, but I know just by the teams we have in our league, the success historically that each one has had, there's certainly a chance we could have somebody represent the SEC in the national title game again," said coach Gene Chizik of national champion Auburn at the last month's SEC media gathering.

The Cougars were successful the last time they ventured into SEC country, knocking off Mississippi State 41-38 on Dec. 1, 2001. Ogletree said he went to that game as a 13-year-old, and will never forget the experience.

"Obviously, they take their football very, very seriously down there," he said. "It's going to be a fun experience for us. I love to go on road games and be road warriors, and have all the fans against you. That makes it memorable."

Ole Miss, which went 4-8 last year, including 1-7 in the SEC, has had some off-the-field issues and other distractions in preseason camp, and is picked to finish at the bottom of the SEC West. But it took BYU coach Bronco Mendenhall less than a day's worth of film study to realize there's not much difference between the top teams in the powerful league and the worst.

"Certainly, they are fast and physical," Mendenhall said. "Whether you are watching Tennessee or Alabama or Arkansas or South Carolina, Kentucky, all of the SEC teams, they're fast, they're strong, they're talented. They are all good football teams."

No fewer than eight SEC teams are ranked in one of the two major preseason national polls, with Alabama at No. 2 and LSU at No. 4 in both.

Former U. of U. coach Urban Meyer led Florida to two of those five recent national titles for the SEC. Meyer, now an ESPN analyst, says the reason the SEC is the best conference now can be summed up in one word: players.

"The quality of player right now, as we speak, is a little better in the SEC," he said.

As for Heaps, he talked in Monday's news conference about how college football is a religion in the South, having experienced it a bit while going to quarterback camps at LSU and Tennessee when he was in high school.

"To say they take it seriously is an understatement," he said.

drew@sltrib.com

Twitter: @drewjay

facebook.com/sltribbyu —

SEC accomplishments

SEC teams have won the past five BCS national championships, seven BCS titles overall, and 21 overall national titles.

Eight SEC teams are ranked in the preseason polls, with Alabama No. 2 and LSU No. 4.

Gave college football its first conference championship game in 1992.

Will dole out a record $220 million to its 12 member universities this year, including $113 million from football television revenue.

Since 2006, SEC teams have won more bowl games, 30, than any other conference.

Since 2006, SEC football coaches and players have won 43 major individual awards, more than any other conference. —

Saturday's game

P BYU at Mississippi,2:45 p.m. MDT

TV • ESPN