KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- In many ways, nobody plays on the Southeastern Conference level.

Take television. Sure the Big Ten has its own network, but you better have the right cable provider. SEC football has CBS -- on everybody's basic package -- for the next 15 years, and the SEC is closing in on its own network as well.

Every conference has a preseason media event, where coaches and players preview the season. The SEC has a circus, attended this year by more than 750 media representatives, which probably is more than will cover the league's championship game. There were autograph hounds aplenty and even a court official serving a subpoena to Tennessee coach Phil Fulmer.

The Big 12, like every other conference, can't compare.

But it's gaining where it counts most, on the field.

Game week has arrived with the greatest sense of anticipation for success in Big 12 history. The conference is coming off a resounding season in which four of its teams finished in the final top 10 and eight of its players were chosen consensus All-America.

Not even the SEC had those numbers.

And it must shake heads in every corner that Missouri's victory over Kansas last season was college football's most watched regular-season broadcast of 2007, rated higher even than Georgia-Florida.

Opinion is building that the Big 12 this season can rival college football's top dog, and preseason evidence supports the claim. The SEC has the returning Heisman Trophy quarterback in Tim Tebow, but the Big 12 is thequarterback conference with six of the top 24 in passing rating back this season.

The SEC has four teams in The Associated Press preseason top 10, but the Big 12 has five in the top 14.

Naturally, the coaches stand up for their conferences.

"Last year, LSU had a great team, won the national championship and lost twice in our league," Georgia coach Mark Richt said. "That's how it is in our league."

Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops throws it back, calling this year potentially "one of the stronger years we've had."

But for the Big 12 to become the nation's top conference it must show at the beginning and in the end.

The nonconference games create the early impression. The Big 12 has 14 against teams from other major conferences and has to win a majority of them. Last season, the Big 12 went 5-6 in those games, including 1-2 against the SEC.

Among the matchups that will shape the Big 12's image: Missouri-Illinois, Kansas at South Florida, Kansas State at Louisville and Virginia Tech at Nebraska. The Big 12 should win the only meeting with the SEC when Texas plays host to Arkansas.

The bowl games complete the picture. The Big 12 went 5-3 last season, matching its best record. The SEC went 7-3, setting a mark for most victories by a conference in the postseason.

Also, where Big 12 Oklahoma laid an egg by getting thumped by West Virginia in the Fiesta Bowl, the SEC won its second straight national championship with LSU, and Georgia's romp in the Sugar Bowl made the conference 11-4 all time in BCS bowl games. The Big 12 is 6-8.

LSU coach Les Miles, formerly of Oklahoma State, has said the difference between the conferences is the SEC's strength in the middle and bottom. Everybody has national championship contenders at the top, but his Tigers losing at home to what would become a five-loss Arkansas team proved his point.

That's where the Big 12 appears to have made progress. The league increased its share of contenders at the top with Missouri, Kansas and Texas Tech added to usual list of Oklahoma and Texas as potential league champions.

But the waistline also has expanded with Nebraska, Colorado, Kansas State, Oklahoma State and Texas A&M looking bowl worthy.

"You don't plan on winning a football game in this league anymore," Longhorns coach Mack Brown said.

Why is any of this important? Reputation plays a role in college football. There was a reason two-loss LSU was judged most worthy of playing for the championship. The Tigers were the two-loss champion of what was perceived as the nation's best conference. They had the benefit of the doubt.

Every conference wants to be in that position. The Big 12 is closer than it's ever been.