In general, I think the SEC failed to keep up with dramatic advances made elsewhere in college football offense.
Believing "defense wins championships" is an immutable theological law let them continue thinking a run oriented offense with a QB who avoids turnovers would always be good enough.
Advances in offense elsewhere made all defenses less effective and SEC defenses less dominant.
As a result SEC teams are more likely to be involved in shootouts and ill-equipped to win them when they find themselves involved in them.
I fully expect the SEC to buy the knowledge they need, but it will take several years to create offenses that can keep up with the system Oregon has spent a decade or so perfecting.
The evolution of the sport and the rise and fall of conferences, systems, and strategies (with occasional successes for throwbacks like Georgia Tech's option) keeps college football fascinating to me.