At some point every college football season, the same question emerges: could a college football team (usually Alabama) beat an NFL team?

Auburn basketball coach Bruce Pearl took that idea one step further Wednesday during his appearance at SEC Basketball Media Days.

Pearl: "The SEC West is stronger than the AFC South right now." Says basketball has to embrace football's successes. — Ryan Black (@RyanABlack) October 19, 2016

As hyperbolic as it sounds, there are a few numbers to back up Pearl’s claim.

Six of the seven SEC West teams were ranked in this week’s AP Top 25 — No. 1 Alabama, No. 6 Texas A&M, No. 17 Arkansas, No. 21 Auburn, No. 23 Ole Miss and No. 25 LSU. The AFC South, meanwhile, includes only one team above .500, the Houston Texans.