Look at your own numbers....
SEC teams account for more bowl appearances simply because even their mid-level teams are better than the best teams in most other conferences. This leaves the SEC 4th or 5th place team playing against the number 1 or 2 team from another conference in a bowl. Or some Big 12 or 10 team playing some unknown team in a lower level bowl game....or even a big bowl game year after year and losing (I'm looking at you, U of M)
Those numbers aren’t just for bowl games, they’re for all 2021 non-conference games. And apparently you don’t realize that the SEC has more teams than the Big 12 and thus would be expected to play more total games. Additionally, the SEC typically played 8 in-conference games and 5 non-conference games while the Big 12 typically played 9 in-conference games and 4 non-conference games, also accounting for the difference in total non-conference games.
The SEC’s 4th best team last year was Kentucky. In their bowl game they played the Big 10’s 4th best team, Iowa.
The SEC’s 5th best team last year was Arkansas. In their bowl game they played the Big 10’s
8th best team, Penn State.
The idea that the SEC’s middling teams have to play other conference’s first and second best teams in bowl games is laughably and verifiably false.
This is all aside from the fact that your own argument contradicts itself.
“Even their mid-level teams are better than the best teams in most other conferences.”
“This leaves the SEC 4th or 5th place team playing against the number 1 or 2 team from another conference in a bowl.”
The second quote appears to purport that the reason for the sub-.500 bowl record is because the SEC middling teams have to play (and then lose to) the best or second best teams from other conferences in those bowl games. However not only did I show this is not actually true, but even if it were, it also directly contradicts your first quote where you claim the SEC’s 4th and 5th best teams are better than most other conferences’ best teams.
In short, 🤣🤣🤣