Image Courtesy: Roll Bama Roll
With no divisions for the first time in the SEC with the 2024 schedule, schedules have become more diverse. Instead of playing six other teams every year in their division as well as a permanent rival in the opposition division, each SEC program will play one permanent foe and seven rotating teams. Each SEC team will play different opponents than they normally do. With Oklahoma and Texas coming in, old rivalries are renewed with Arkansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Texas A&M. Historic games between Alabama and Texas, Florida and Oklahoma, Georgia and Oklahoma, and others make this new SEC so interesting.
Top Games:
1.Georgia @ Alabama
The top two programs in the conference will face off for the first time in the regular season since 2020. Georgia has won the national championship the last two seasons and Alabama will have to challenge them if they want to become a title favorite again. It may be the biggest game in Tuscaloosa since Tua Tagovailoa and Joe Burrow battled it out in LSU’s 46-41 win in 2019.
Date Projection: October 12
2.Texas @ Texas A&M
The Lone Star Showdown returns after a long decade plus vacation. The Aggies’ athletic programs have reaped benefits monetarily from being in the SEC and they will look to defeat a Texas program that has not fully “come back” since the two were last conference mates in the Big 12.
Date Projection: November 30
3.Tennessee @ Georgia
In what will likely be Georgia’s only challenging game this upcoming season, it should be another difficult test in 2024. Tennessee has emerged as the biggest threat to the bulldogs in the east last season of divisions. In 2024, a potential young QB match up between Georgia’s Carson Beck and Tennessee Nico Iamaleava would be dynamite.
Date Projection: November 23
4.Alabama @ Tennessee
The third Saturday game in October did end up being put on the schedule which foreshadows the Tide and the Vols being each others’ permanent rivals in a nine game conference schedule beyond 2024.
Date Projection: October 19
5.Oklahoma vs. Texas (Dallas)
The first Red River rivalry in the SEC will likely be the first weekend in October during the Texas State Fair like normal. The two blue bloods will look to make their mark in the conference in their first season in the SEC
Date Projection: October 5
Just Missed Out:
Georgia at. Texas
Date Projection: September 21
Tennessee at. Oklahoma
Texas at. Arkansas
Date Projection: November 9
Date Projection: November 2
South Carolina at. Oklahoma
Date Projection: September 21
Arkansas vs. Texas A&M (Arlington)
Date Projection: September 28
Games the SEC Missed Out on Scheduling:
1.Georgia-Texas A&M
Since the Aggies entered the SEC over a decade ago they have not hosted Georgia. It is time for Georgia to come to College Station to face the 12th Man. It would be a raucous crowd between two big fanbases.
2.Georgia-Oklahoma
The 2017 Rose Bowl Playoff Semifinal was one of the best college football games of all time. How the SEC did not schedule this game in year one of the Sooners being the conference is crazy to me.
3.Auburn-Florida, LSU
Before and even during the first part of the division era in the SEC, Auburn-Florida was a big rivalry in the conference. Since the turn of the century, battles between Auburn and Florida have been rare and the game will not come back in 2024. If the conference goes to nine games, we will see the game every other season. Because we rarely see this game, I would love to see this rivalry back at least every other season in a nine game setting.
One of the best SEC West battles every season, Auburn-LSU will not be played in the first season without divisions. The battle between the two tigers are always competitive so missing out on this game will be difficult for a season.
4.Georgia-South Carolina
Since South Carolina’s upset of Georgia in the fall of 2019, this old SEC East battle has been an intriguing game. The Gamecocks have since not been able to beat them again. However, getting the chance to do it in 2024 will not happen as they will not face off.
5.Ole Miss-Vanderbilt
The old cross-division rivals will not face off for the first time in awhile in 2024. Vanderbilt may not have the best program and may be an easy win for the Rebels in most year but the trip to Nashville for Ole Miss is important for recruiting every year.
