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August is slowly turning into September, fall camp is ending, and school is about to start. This can only mean one thing; Football season is back. Usually I cover all things NFL, especially the Tennessee Titans, who I am very excited for this year, but this season I will dive into the chaotic realm of college football. With NIL, the transfer portal, conference realignment, and the new playoff system, the college football landscape has fully entered uncharted waters, which I plan to navigate throughout 2024.
As we embark on the road to the 2025 National Championship Game, let's take a look at how the SEC could shake up in the post-Saban era of college football.
(Note: Ranked teams are ranked using ESPN’s post-Spring Game Top-25 rankings)
Title Photo: Tony Walsh / Georgia
16. Vanderbilt Commodores (2023 record: 2-10)
Vanderbilt football is probably in the worst position in college football. They sit in an already loaded SEC that only got better this year with the additions of Texas and Oklahoma. Recruiting will be a huge challenge for head coach Clark Lea, as many people won’t want to play for a team that is 2-22 in SEC play over the last three seasons. Vandy is a baseball school, not a football one.
2024 Record Projection: 1-11
15. Mississippi State Bulldogs (2023 record: 5-7)
Starkville is at the complete opposite of their rivals in Oxford. The Bulldogs are rebuilding under new coach Jeff Lebby. Like Lea, Lebby is in a tough spot; trying to build a competitive program in the best conference in the country. Mississippi State is a decent spot for players to transfer/commit to, but they will have to play well this year to prove that Lebby has what it takes to succeed in this cutthroat business.
2024 Record Projection: 3-9
14. Arkansas Razorbacks (2023 record: 4-8)
Like the two aforementioned teams, Arkansas is in a tough spot in the new-look conference. Losing many starters like QB KJ Jefferson, and replacing them with mostly transfers, the Razorbacks have upside, but also have glaring issues like chemistry, team fit, and simply not being good enough to compete with the top dogs of the conference.
2024 Record Projection: 4-8
Florida QB Graham Mertz talks in the huddle during Florida's Spring Game this year.
Photo: Ryan Friedenberg / The Independent Florida Alligator
13. Florida Gators (2023 record: 5-7)
Florida has underwhelmed for the past decade or so. They lost key offensive pieces in Ricky Pearsall and Trevor Etienne, and have one of the hardest schedules in the nation. They have some hope, with QB’s Graham Mertz and DJ Lagway giving them dynamic options to score, but I really just don’t see a vision with this team, especially while they're stuck in the crowded bottom/mid-tier of the SEC.
2024 Record Projection: 5-7
12. South Carolina Gamecocks (2023 record: 5-7)
The Gamecocks are in a similar position as cellar-dwellers in the conference, with the chance to be mid-tier at best this season. They have talent, but also suffered some key losses in the offseason (WR Xavier Legette, QB Spencer Rattler), as well as a schedule filled with top-tier conference opponents. Simply put, like Florida, they can’t compete with the better teams of the SEC, and so they’ll most likely have another underwhelming season.
2024 Record Projection: 5-7
11. Texas A&M Aggies (2023 record: 7-6)
A&M’s roster was gutted via the transfer portal last fall, losing a whopping 26 players, many of whom from the prized 2022 recruiting class. The coaching staff did a good job adding players, but work is still needed if they want to compete in the SEC. QB Conner Weigman has first round potential, and a big year from him could help them gain momentum to catapult into the top-7 teams in the conference for the next few years.
2024 Record Projection: 6-7 (Bowl Loss)
10. Auburn Tigers (2023 record: 6-7)
Auburn’s success is going to come down to their QB play. Payton Thorne was solid last year, but not up to par on what an SEC signal-caller should be. Coach Hugh Freeze has not named an official starter yet, but if Thorne struggles, look for either Holden Geriner, Hank Brown, or both to get action.
2024 Record Projection: 6-7 (Bowl Loss)
New Kentucky Quarterback Brock Vandagriff gets ready to throw at practice.
Photo: UK Athletics
9. Kentucky Wildcats (2023 record: 7-6)
I am higher on Kentucky than most analysts, but it’s mostly for one reason. Yes, QB Brock Vandagriff is unproven, but the Georgia transfer is a former 5-star recruit. The talent is there, and he just needs to perform. Also, Kentucky produced Will Levis a few years ago, so Vandagriff has the tools to succeed in this offense. The Wildcats also play at an extremely fast pace, which could help them score points down the stretch against tired defenses. Don’t sleep on them this year; they aren’t just a basketball school that chokes in March Madness every year.
2024 Projected Record: 8-5 (Bowl Win)
8. #15 Tennessee Volunteers (2023 record: 9-4)
I am not a firm Tennessee believer. Nico Iamaleava is one of the most over-hyped QB’s in the nation. Sure, he was a 5-star recruit, but he only has one start under his belt. Let's pump the breaks, please. He very well could prove me wrong, and I hope he does, but as of now, people should not think they' re a legit playoff team. We did this last year with Joe Milton, and we shouldn’t do it again.
2024 Projected Record: 8-5 (Bowl Loss)
7. #18 Oklahoma Sooners (2023 record: 10-3)
The Sooners very well could contend for a top-3 spot in the SEC this year. They could also finish this season outside of the Top 25. QB Jackson Arnold has to live up to his 5-star ranking, otherwise Oklahoma will struggle. With the lack of quality targets compared to the top teams in the conference, a lot of pressure is on Arnold in his first season as the starter. If Oklahoma wants to be a playoff team, Arnold has to deliver in their inaugural SEC season.
2024 Projected Record: 9-4 (Bowl Loss)
6. #14 LSU Tigers (2023 record: 10-3)
The Tigers lost Heisman winner QB Jayden Daniels and two first round wideouts in Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr. Still, coach Brian Kelly has the Tigers primed for another successful season, as former 4-star Garrett Nussmeier will lead the charge on offense. The offense may not be as good as last year, but projected top-10 pick LB Harold Perkins will have the defense in good hands. The ceiling for this team is a deep playoff run, and if Nussmeier hits the ground running, then look out, LSU could make some serious noise.
2024 Projected Record: 9-4 (Bowl Win)
Missouri receiver Luther Burden III celebrates a first down vs. South Carolina in 2022.
Photo: Artie Walker Jr / AP
5. #8 Missouri Tigers (2023 record: 11-2)
I believe that what Missouri had last year was more than lightning in a bottle. Brady Cook is a borderline top-10 QB in the country, and WR Luther Burden III is a projected top-10 pick. The talent is there once again this season, and Mizzou has one of the easier schedules in the SEC. They could find themselves playing in the SEC Championship if everything goes to plan.
2024 Record Projection: 12-2 (11-1 Regular Season, Quarterfinals Loss in CFP)
4. #7 Alabama Crimson Tide (2023 record: 12-2, SEC Champion)
Alabama lost the GOAT coach of college football in Nick Saban this offseason. His replacement, Kalen DeBoer, lost just 3 games in 2 seasons as Washington’s head coach, leading them to the National Championship last year. The Tide did lose Isaiah Bond and Caleb Downs, but they are still Alabama. Jalen Milroe will build on his second half of last season, could put up similar numbers as Michael Penix Jr did in DeBoer’s system, and become a Hesiman finalist, carrying Bama into the playoffs.
2024 Record Projection: 12-2 (11-1 Regular Season, Quarterfinals Loss in CFP)
3. #6 Ole Miss Rebels (2023 record: 11-2)
Ole Miss is one of the most polarizing teams in the nation. They have a dynamic offense that can put up a boatload of points, and a solid defense to go along with it. The X-Factor to their whole season is how well QB Jaxson Dart plays. Dart is a freak athlete for a QB, and has legit first round hype and Heisman hopes. If he lives up to those lofty expectations, the Rebels could have a long playoff run that could possibly even culminate in Atlanta in January 2025. However, these expectations could make Dart and the team crumble when it’s time to put it all together in December.
2024 Record Projection: 11-2 (11-1 Regular Season, First Round Loss in CFP)
2. #3 Texas Longhorns (2023 record: 12-2, Big 12 Champion)
I am going to throw all of my Longhorn bias aside here. Texas has the best shot out of all the other teams to beat Georgia. And I think they will, but not in their regular season matchup. Quinn Ewers has his best shot to put everything together this year. High level transfer wideouts Isaiah Bond, and Silas Bolden, and 5-star recruit Ryan Wingo revamp the pass catchers. Although star RB CJ Baxter is out for the year with torn ligaments in his knee, Jaydon Blue and Savion Red headline a deep running back room that has produced a ton in recent seasons. To block for them, the Horns return 4 starters up front. The defense also projects to be one of the better ones in the top-25. Simply put, this is coach Steve Sarkisian’s best opportunity to win it all since taking the job.
2024 Projected Record: 14-2 (11-1 Regular Season, SEC Champions, National Runner-Ups)
Georgia coach Kirby Smart watches his players during pregame warmups.
Photo: Wade Payne / AP
1. #1 Georgia Bulldogs (2023 record: 13-1, SEC Runner-Up)
Georgia has 2 of the last 3 National Championships. They’ve lost just 2 games in that time frame. They’ve pumped out countless first round picks and other draftees. Kirby Smart is the new Nick Saban. Not many teams will stop, let alone slow down projected Heisman winner QB Carson Beck and the Bulldogs. Betting against them to win the natty is probably a bad idea. As much as I love Texas, I do believe that we are in the middle of a dynasty right now. If Beck makes the transition from high-level game-manager to top-5 pick/Heisman winner like people think he will, then it's all over for the rest of the country.
2024 Projected Record: 15-1 (12-0 Regular Season, SEC Runner-Ups, National Champions)
Final Thoughts:
Yes, it is extremely rare to see a matchup three times in one year the way I have Texas vs. Georgia. But, if it’s going to happen with two teams, it’ll be with those two for sure (If you didn’t follow along, Georgia wins 2 of them, the regular season matchup and the National Championship, while Texas gets the SEC Championship). The SEC is by far the best conference in the country, and has 7 legit teams trying to make the new 12 team CFP (6 is the max for a conference to have, I think 5 will make it). I hope these predictions are right (or at least somewhat right), but either way, this was a fun blog to research and write. Stay on the lookout for my coverage of the other 3 major conferences (RIP PAC-12).
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