I agree with your conclusion, but not its underlying premise.  The Buckeyes were overmatched, but the fact is that LSU's corners outplayed OSU's receivers, and the same is true at the QB position.  Key penalties, including the roughing penalty, also played a huge part.  This was not, strictly speaking, a "speed kills" result.  If your premise is that the SEC is a faster, better conference, what explains Michigan's victory over a supposedly faster, better Florida team?   In the PAC 10, other than USC--which was beaten by perennial doormat Stanford--is there any team year in and year out which has a consistently good program?   As for the SEC and the Big 12, every year, just as in the Big 10, there are 2-3 teams that are clearly the class of the conference and maybe 1 or 2 which have a legitimate shot at a national championship.  The beauty of college football is that it's fluid.  Each year is different and unpredictable.  Some teams put together 2 or 3 years of sustained greatness because they happen to accumulate a few game breaking players at the same time.  And then it's over.  Florida State, Miami, OSU, Oklahoma, USC, Texas, and Florida could tell you that.  Within the next couple of years, LSU will, too.