The SEC 2024 schedule release: Finest games, what’s missing out on and
The SEC releasing its annual schedule is constantly big offseason news. When the Oklahoma Sooners and Texas Longhorns are signing up with the conference, it’s paramount.On Wednesday night
, the SEC released its schedule for the 2024 season, the very first year the Sooners and Longhorns will be playing alongside Alabama, Georgia and the rest of the groups from the most dominant conference in college football.The conference currently made news by sticking to an eight-game schedule when a nine-game slate was on the table earlier this spring. The news now moves to the stadium where the conference’s greatest matchups are officially set.So, who are the biggest winners and losers of the schedule release and what games should we be thrilled for? More notably, what games are we going to miss as Oklahoma and Texas crash the party?Our writers take you through the biggest concerns coming out of the SEC schedule release.Game you’re most thrilled for Georgia vs. Alabama: This will be only the 5th time in the past 20 years that we’ve seen this game in the routine season, and if we’re fortunate, we’ll see both of these groups still at or near the top of their powers when this game rolls around in 2024. Alabama has been the requirement of college football given that 2009, with Georgia coming on in the last handful of years as not just an opposition for that throne, but as a follower the last two seasons. Presuming Nick Saban is still around, I don’t believe any of us would complain about not needing to wait till the SEC champion or national championship to view these two programs get after it. It’s college football at its peak.– Harry Lyles Jr. Texas at Texas A&M: They have actually met 118 times, but not considering that 2011, when Justin Tucker broke the Aggies’hearts with a walk-off basket to send A&M off to the SEC with a 27-25 loss. However that hasn’t avoided the non-stop will-they-or-won’t-they discussion from appearing every couple of years, all while fans of the two schools continued to chirp and compare everything between the 2 programs. Lastly, the Lone Star Showdown is back, and boasting rights will not be chosen by arguments about recruiting rankings, brands or revenue or who needs the game the most, however rather by lining up and actually playing football versus each other. What an idea.– Dave Wilson Tennessee at Oklahoma: In just 2 years, Josh Heupel has Tennessee’s program nationally appropriate again. The Vols’journey to Norman has a couple of different storylines. Brent Venables will remain in his third season as Oklahoma’s head coach, and the Sooners’fans will be anticipating a development already similar to what Tennessee achieved in Heupel’s second season. Furthermore, Heupel will be going back to his university, where he was a Heisman Prize finalist. However that does not necessarily imply Heupel has warm and fuzzy feelings about his alma mater after being fired as offensive organizer by previous coach Bob Stoops following the 2015 season.– Chris Low Oklahoma at Mizzou(!): Hey, sue me, I grew up in Oklahoma
, I reside in Columbia, and I miss this game a lot. Okay, great, the genuine answer is Aggies-Horns, however in any case, among the special aspects of OU and Texas transferring to the SEC is that it actually reignites a few matches that either had a long history( A&M- Texas, but likewise Arkansas-Texas and Mizzou-Oklahoma )or a brief however fascinating history(OU-A & M, a.k.a. the 77-0 Bowl; Mizzou-Texas, a.k.a. the “Our bad years are much better than their great years “Bowl). That is small alleviation for the Big 12 schools that lost their most big-name competitors, but in adjustment we take what we can get.– Costs Connelly Biggest game we’re missing out on? Georgia at Texas A&M: I’m beginning to wonder if we’ll ever see Georgia and Texas A&M play an SEC game at Kyle Field. Yes, I understand it will take place at some time. But the Aggies have actually been a member of the league considering that 2012, and the Bulldogs have yet to check out College Station. Part of the excitement of the new-look SEC is seeing an established power like Georgia go from its own football-obsessed state into another football-obsessed state like Texas. And now that Bobby Petrino is back in the league as Texas A&M’s offensive coordinator, seeing his offense take on Kirby Smart’s defense would make for high drama.– Low Editor’s Picks 2 Associated Georgia at South Carolina: Maybe it does not qualify as a top-tier competition game– the Bulldogs may not even count the Gamecocks as a rival at all– but it’s a shame the two soon-to-be-former SEC East members will not continue a series that dates back to 1992. There have been some great moments in the series. I’m thinking about 2019, in specific. And I’m bullish on what Shane Beamer and his personnel are building in Columbia. It would have been fun to see the upstart attempt to take down the reigning champ.– Alex Scarborough
Texas vs. LSU: Honestly, I was expecting Longhorns vs. Tigers. They brewed some bad blood after contesting Tom Herman in 2016 (keep in mind that?), and that’s a competition that has lots of potential. But I’m simply going to calmly continue to presume that eventually ideal minds will dominate, the league will relocate to a nine-game conference schedule, and everyone will play everybody every number of years. That will produce adequate rivalry chances in itself.– Connelly
play 1:41 SEC commish talks difficulties of football scheduling
SEC commissioner Greg Sankey goes over the numerous aspects that enter into the league’s scheduling format.Biggest winner The fans: For the most part,
the SEC did a fantastic job keeping its most important games intact. Even less prominent competitions like Arkansas-LSU and Alabama-Tennessee will continue. Each school will play among the two conference newbies in Oklahoma and Texas. And there are no repeat journeys from the 2023 season. The only thing that would be better for the fans is if the SEC came out on Wednesday and said they will be playing a nine-game schedule in 2025 and beyond. Because a long-term eight-game conference schedule will not please this many people. So enjoy it while you can.– Scarborough
Rivalries: Kudos to the SEC for doing everything it could to compare schools that have some kind of history and not forgetting about tradition. Some of the games were obvious (Alabama-Auburn, Florida-Georgia, Mississippi State-Ole Miss, Oklahoma-Texas, Texas-Texas A&M and Alabama-Tennessee), however it’s nice to see other matches such as Alabama-LSU, Arkansas-Texas, Florida-Tennessee, Florida-LSU, Georgia-Tennessee and LSU-Ole Miss maintained.– Low
Arkansas: They kept LSU, they kept Ole Miss (one of the most underrated games on the college football slate), they kept Missouri (for whatever that’s worth), they kept A&M and they added Texas. That’s nearly perfect for the Hogs.– Connelly
Texas A&M: The Aggies made one of the most sound about Texas entering the SEC, and athletic director Ross Bjork even made it clear he anticipated the league to schedule the very first A&M-Texas game in College Station, “even if of everything that’s transpired,” he told The Athletic. Not just did Bjork get his dream, however the Aggies likewise get LSU in the house, miss out on Alabama and Georgia entirely and have a road slate that includes trips to Auburn, Mississippi State, Florida and South Carolina. In this lineup, that’s a really friendly schedule.– Wilson
Most significant loser
Alabama: Good luck discovering any easy schedules in 2024, but Alabama’s roadway slate is harsh. Not only do the Crimson Tide have to dip into LSU, Oklahoma and Tennessee within the conference, but they also check out Wisconsin the 2nd week of the season in a nonconference game. The “good” news is that they get two-time defending national champion Georgia at home.– Low
Georgia: Bye-bye Vanderbilt. So long Missouri. There will disappear running roughshod over a down SEC East for Georgia. The Bulldogs will face a gauntlet as the conference goes division-less with Florida in Jacksonville, Auburn and Tennessee in your home, and trip to Alabama, Texas, Ole Miss and Kentucky.– Scarborough
Oklahoma: It’s hard to say either the Sooners or the Longhorns can be “losers” entering the SEC. And while I concur with Alex, I believe fans in Norman might not surprisingly feel some kind of way about just having 3 real house games in 2024 (Alabama, South Carolina, Tennessee) due to the fact that of their classification as the house team versus Texas at the Cotton Bowl. The positive in this: Two of their 3 most difficult games are going to be at house against the Crimson Tide and Volunteers, while they get a journey to Death Valley against LSU.– Lyles Jr.
. Cost savings accounts: If you are a Texas fan, can you miss a trip to an old rival against Arkansas? Another one to Texas A&M? You can’t miss out on Oklahoma. Then there are home games versus Georgia and Florida. Oklahoma fans get a journey to LSU, and house games versus Alabama and/or Tennessee. It’s all excellent for fans, however rough on the ol’ wallet.– Wilson
Every team’s 2024 SEC challengers
Away: LSU, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Vanderbilt
House: Auburn, Georgia, Missouri, South Carolina
Away: Auburn, Mississippi State, Missouri, Texas A&M
House: LSU, Ole Miss, Tennessee, Texas
Away: Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Missouri
Home: Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Vanderbilt
Away: Georgia (Jacksonville), Mississippi State, Tennessee, Texas
House: Kentucky, LSU, Ole Miss, Texas A&M
Away: Alabama, Kentucky, Ole Miss, Texas
House: Auburn, Florida (Jacksonville), Mississippi State, Tennessee
Away: Florida, Ole Miss, Tennessee, Texas
House: Auburn, Georgia, South Carolina, Vanderbilt
Away: Arkansas, Florida, South Carolina, Texas A&M
House: Alabama, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Vanderbilt
Away: Georgia, Ole Miss, Tennessee, Texas
House: Arkansas, Florida, Missouri, Texas A&M
Away: Alabama, Mississippi State, South Carolina, Texas A&M
Home: Arkansas, Auburn, Oklahoma, Vanderbilt
Away: Auburn, LSU, Missouri, Ole Miss
Home: Alabama, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas (at Dallas)
Away: Arkansas, Florida, LSU, South Carolina
Home: Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi State, Oklahoma
Away: Alabama, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Vanderbilt
Home: LSU, Ole Miss, Missouri, Texas A&M
Away: Arkansas, Georgia, Oklahoma, Vanderbilt
Home: Alabama, Florida, Kentucky, Mississippi State
Away: Arkansas, Oklahoma (Dallas), Texas A&M, Vanderbilt
Home: Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi State
Away: Auburn, Florida, Mississippi State, South Carolina
Home: Arkansas, LSU, Missouri, Texas
Away: Auburn, Kentucky, LSU, Missouri
House: Alabama, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas