Author’s note: I am previewing each Power Four conference (ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, and SEC) ahead of the 2024 NCAA football season, which will be the first year with a 12-team playoff.
As a reminder, here are the number of teams in each Power Four conference following nationwide realignment:
ACC (17 teams)
Big 12 (16 teams)
Big Ten (18 teams)
SEC (16 teams)
SEC Season Superlatives
Favorite to win the SEC: Georgia
Georgia will either be No. 1 or No. 2 in the upcoming AP College Football poll. They are one of the best programs in the country right now and might have won another National Championship if there was a 12-team playoff last year. Either way, they won back-to-back National Championships before last season. Georgia lost a ton of good players last year, but they also return Carson Beck, one of the best quarterbacks in the nation, plus many other players on both sides of the ball. Georgia should be the favorite to win the SEC and a possible National Championship.
Favorite to win SEC Player of the Year: Carson Beck (Quarterback, Georgia)
Beck is a talented quarterback on the best team in the SEC. Coming back after starting last season, Beck should be even better for the Bulldogs in 2024. What makes Beck so special is that he can make all the throws and still deliver a good football under pressure.
Favorite to win SEC Defensive Player of the Year: Harold Perkins (Linebacker, LSU)
Perkins can do it all from his linebacker position. He is equally as good at rushing the passer as he is playing as an off-the-ball linebacker. Perkins is a legit playmaker for the LSU defense.
Harold Perkins Jr. has been a force since arriving at LSU as a 5-star true freshman in 2022 😤 @HP113k
— Billy Tucker (@TheUCReport) May 15, 2024
Without a doubt one of the best linebackers in the country 🔥 pic.twitter.com/yLSKU6k1Sr
Sleeper Team: Ole Miss
Lane Kiffin has created a nice program at Ole Miss. His wins have gone from five to 10 to eight, and then to 11 last season. Plus, he brings back a talented group led by quarterback Jaxson Dart. Kiffin has also embraced the transfer portal and has added to his program every offseason.
SEC Team Notes
Georgia
As I mentioned above, Georgia is one of the most talented teams in the country. Kirby Smart has built two championship teams, and I expect he will win a few more titles before he is done. Now that Nick Saban has retired, Smart is the best coach in college football.
Texas
Texas joins the SEC after making its first playoffs last season. Now, they are hoping they can build off last year’s run and compete in the tougher SEC conference. Quinn Ewers comes back for another season to play quarterback. Texas could make a serious SEC title run this year.
Alabama
Alabama will not have Nick Saban as head coach for the first time since the 2006 season. Saban, considered one of the best head coaches ever, retired and was replaced by former Washington head coach Kalen DeBoer. DeBoer has a strong coaching pedigree but has never coached in the SEC, so it’s too early to tell how he will do at Alabama. He does have a great offensive background and will welcome back talented quarterback Jalen Milroe this season.
Ole Miss
Ole Miss brings back a good core of players and Kiffin has them rolling right now. Coming off an 11-win season, Ole Miss is hoping to continue their recent trend of success. Kiffin also has stepped into the portal to land some good players. He always has one of the best offenses in college football every year.
LSU
Brian Kelly hasn’t been bad in his first two years at LSU, winning 10 games on both occasions, but the Tigers have not been very consistent — especially for a program led by an accomplished coach like Kelly. Last year, they were awful on defense. If not for Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels, they would not have won 10 games. This is a big year for Kelly to try to get over the hump and win some big games.
Missouri
Under Eliah Drinkwitz, Missouri had been very average, going 17-19 in his first three seasons until he broke through last year with an 11-2 finish. This record included a win over Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl. But can Missouri maintain its success for a second consecutive season? That might prove to be difficult in the tough SEC.
Tennessee
Josh Heupel had a great second season in 2022 when Tennessee broke through to win 11 games. Last year, they slipped back to nine wins. It’s not a bad sign for a program but might be mildly disappointing for Tennessee fans. Now comes in talented quarterback Nico Iamaleava after he sat out most of last season. He was considered the best prospect in the 2023 class, so the hype surrounding him will be huge this season. Can Tennessee give him enough help?
Oklahoma
Just like Texas, this is Oklahoma’s first season in the SEC. Brent Venables is entering his third year at Oklahoma after being a successful defensive coordinator at Clemson. It will be interesting to see if they can compete with the top SEC teams in Year 1. He won six and 10 games in his first two years at Oklahoma, respectively. Jackson Arnold is a talented quarterback who can step in and lead the program.
Oklahoma did a mock 2-minute drill at practice today
— Josh Callaway (@JoshMCallaway) April 12, 2024
This Jackson Arnold scramble and dart to Jayden Gibson set up a Tyler Keltner field goal (that he made)#Sooners pic.twitter.com/7Adw0moQCD
Texas A&M
After a very disappointing tenure of Jimbo Fisher, Texas A&M fired him and gave him a massive buyout. In comes Mike Elko who returns to Texas A&M after two years as Duke’s head coach. He was previously the Aggies’ defensive coordinator. Time will tell if he is successful in his return to College Station.
Auburn
Hugh Freeze is now entering Year 2 at Auburn. He had a successful run at Ole Miss but was fired after a scandal. Freeze is a good coach and one of the best offensive minds in the NCAA. He probably has to be the happiest coach in the SEC to see Saban retire so that he can try to get the upper hand in the Iron Bowl rivalry with Alabama.
Kentucky
Mark Stoops deserves a ton of credit for building a consistent program at a basketball school. Stoops’s teams are physical and are usually a tough matchup for most SEC programs. Kentucky is a tough place to win and Stoops has managed to keep it going.
Florida
Florida might have the toughest schedule I have ever seen with games against Miami, Texas A&M, Tennesee, Georgia, Texas, LSU, Ole Miss, and Florida State. Billy Napier is entering Year 3 and has won 11 games over the last two campaigns. With this year’s schedule, he will struggle to get to five or six wins.
South Carolina
South Carolina has struggled to gain any traction in the SEC for a while. Shane Beamer has picked up recruiting for South Carolina, but the on-field results have been up and down. They have won seven, eight, and five games in his first three seasons, respectively. I don’t see them finishing much better this year.
Arkansas
Arkansas is similar to South Carolina as they have endured plenty of difficulty competing in the SEC. Sam Pittman won nine games in his second year, but in the next two years, he combined for just 11 victories (including only four last year). He enters this season on the hot seat and probably needs to win at least six games to save his job.
Mississippi State
Mike Leach had Mississippi State in a respectable spot before sadly passing away. The program promoted his defensive coordinator, Zach Arnett, to head coach, but he was fired after one season. In comes Jeff Lebby who has plenty of experience and success as an offensive coordinator for various programs. It’s tough to know what we’ll see from him in Year 1 at the helm.
The biggest takeaway for me on Jeff Lebby at the podium is the forcefulness and confidence he talks with is a night and day difference from Zach Arnett last year in Nashville
— Justin Frommer (@JustinbFrommer) July 17, 2024
Vanderbilt
It is crazy to think that a James Franklin-led Vanderbilt squad won nine games in both 2012 and 2013. Since then, they have not won more than six games in a single season. They have had a hard time being successful in the SEC.
Final Thoughts
The SEC is one of the best conferences in College Football, competing neck-and-neck with the Big Ten. Make no mistake, though: without Nick Saban roaming the sidelines for Alabama, this conference is wide open. Georgia has proven to be the best program in the SEC over the last several years, but there are still plenty of opportunities for other schools.
Main Image Credit:
