2024 CFB Season: SEC Football Outlook
As SEC Media Days in Dallas wrap up today, we’re only a couple weeks away from fall training camp. The 2024 college football season ushers in a new era of the sport. While conference realignment and the transfer portal have surely bolstered other conferences, such as the Big Ten, the SEC is still the crème de la crème.
This is especially true when you consider the fact that conference realignment has placed two of the most prominent programs in the history of college football in the SEC — Texas and Oklahoma. With those two programs joining the fray, new rivalries are birthed and old ones, such as Texas versus Texas A&M, reemerge.
This is also the first time in long while that we’ve seen the SEC have preseason Heisman candidates at all major skill positions. From quarterback to running back to receiver, there are legitimate arguments to be made that the SEC has the best of each position in the country. There’s no questioning the amount of talent in the trenches and defensive back as the SEC has always been known to have stocks of talent in those areas.
Another interesting component to this season is the expanded 12 team College Football Playoff system. The SEC dominated the 4 team era and with those extra playoff slots that’s not expected to show down anytime soon. This is, however, going to be a change up for those fringe teams that felt their season was over after two or three losses. The pressure to make the playoffs has increased for several programs.
Beyond the playoff, realignment, and the litany of talent, the SEC is loaded with storylines this season primarily due to coaches. Former Alabama coach Nick Saban shocked the football world when he retired shortly after the 2024 season in which the Crimson Tide went 12-2, made the college football playoff, and defeated Kirby Smart & the Georgia Bulldogs in the SEC championship game.
Saban’s achievements as a coach need no rehashing, but you can imagine the goat-size hole it left and the minds and hearts of fans. When Saban retired, there was two questions. One, who would be the coach to take over for the Alabama Crimson Tide? And with Saban out of his path, does anybody have a chance against Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs?
While we won’t have the question to the latter until the season starts, we got the answer to the former rather quickly. Fresh off a National Coach of the Year honor, PAC-12 Championship, & National Championship appearance, Kalen DeBoer, previously of the Washington Huskies, took over for the Crimson Tide.
One of the biggest stories of the year is what the Crimson Tide will look like. There’s some people, like myself, that believe his first season will be graded on a curve. We all know the expectations that are placed upon programs such as Alabama. Despite that, I think he’ll get some grace year one. Conversely, there’s plenty of coaches on the hot seat before this season even kicks off.
Mississippi State head coach Jeff Lebby and Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko aren’t facing much pressure on year one of their tenures. However, those are two rabid fanbases that will certainly expect a spirited effort and at the very least a bowl game.
Florida head coach Billy Napier, Vanderbilt head coach Clark Lea, & Arkansas head coach Sam Pittman headline the bunch that will be harshly critiqued from day one. For much different reasons, Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops, South Carolina head coach Shane Beamer, and Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze will be under the spotlight every week of the season. They aren’t necessarily expected compete for SEC championships, but they certainly aren’t in positions where 6-6 type seasons are acceptable.
That bring us to Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian, Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel, LSU head coach Brian Kelly, Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables, and Missouri head coach Eli Drinkwitz. These are coaches that are somewhat in the sweet spot.
They have very good teams, fairly new contract extensions, and the pressure is somewhat off of them — for now. Expectations remain high, but there’s long term plans in place for each program that will all have their opportunities to play out.
If it wasn’t for the next coach, that group would be the most interesting to me, simply due to the fact that the current narrative will certainly change for one or more these coaches as the season goes along. Especially in the new SEC, not everyone will be able to ease their way to 9-3 and 8-4. Someone is going to get the short end of the stick.
Okay, so we’ve covered everyone but one man, the wildcard himself, Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin. Coming off a season where he led the Rebels to a school record (11) wins and a Peach Bowl victory over Penn State, expectations were already higher than ever. You add in the nation’s best transfer portal class and the expanded playoff, you find yourself at the top of the chart when it comes to pressure.
The SEC is moving away from divisions this season, which also gives the Rebels a boost. Their only two losses last season were to Alabama and Georgia. Now that Alabama isn’t a division foe, they don’t play them in the regular season. They don’t play the Georgia Bulldogs until November and it’s at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.
There’s nowhere to run this season. The Rebels will be preseason top 5 and field one of the most talented rosters in the country. All eyes are on the most polarizing head coach in the country, Lane Kiffin. Can he lead Ole Miss to their first SEC Championship? National Championship? As the man himself says, “Get your popcorn ready!”