It appears to be open season on the SEC.

Not long after SMU coach Rhett Lashlee claimed the ACC is in fact a deeper league than the SEC, Indiana’s Curt Cignetti took aim at the SEC.

The Hoosiers coach explained during Big Ten Media Days why his team canceled a home-and-home series against Virginia and replaced the game with an FCS opponent.

“That was a scheduling philosophy that began before I was hired. But I did sign off on it upon being hired, before our first season,” Cignetti said, per On3. “Look, here’s the bottom line. We picked up an extra home game and we play nine conference games. The two best conferences in college football – any football guy that’s objective will tell you – (are) the Big Ten and the SEC. Twelve of the 16 SEC teams play three G5 or an FCS game. Twelve of those teams play 36 games – 29 G5 games and seven FCS games, and one less conference game.

“So we figured we’d just adopt (an) SEC scheduling philosophy. Some people don’t like it. I’m more focused in on those nine conference games.”

The SEC has been at the center of a scheduling debate about an 8 vs. 9 conference game schedule.

SEC commissioner Greg Sankey said last week during the conference’s media days in Atlanta that the league’s members will still be playing the toughest schedule in the country.

Mark Heim is a reporter for The Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Mark_Heim. He can be heard on “The Opening Kickoff” on WNSP-FM 105.5 FM in Mobile or on the free Sound of Mobile App from 6 to 9 a.m. daily.