Joel Klatt Names Two SEC Programs That Are Not Legit Contenders In 2024

As we enter a new era in the SEC with the addition of the Texas Longhorns and Oklahoma Sooners, the conference pecking order could also face some realignment. Several college football analysts, including Fox Sports’ Joel Klatt, have the Longhorns among the top five in their preseason rankings.

Klatt believes Texas is a favorite to win the conference along with the perennial SEC powerhouse, Georgia Bulldogs. Surprisingly to some, the Ole Miss Rebels come in at No. 5 ahead of the Alabama Crimson Tide. The Missouri Tigers come in just outside the top ten at No. 11. Of those three potential contenders, Klatt says the Crimson Tide is the only serious one.

“[Alabama] will not back down at any moment and you can’t say that about the other two teams that I considered here which is Ole Miss and Missouri,” Klatt said on Monday’s episode of "The Joel Klatt Show ."

Klatt said there’s a lot to like about both the Rebels and the Tigers, but they’re not built the same as the team down in Tuscaloosa.

“The problem is none of these teams have done it against those teams,” Klatt said. “Michigan can say they’ve done it. Alabama can say they’ve done it and getting over those hurdles is tough. Those are the hurdles that are in front of Ole Miss and Missouri.”

The Tigers and Rebels are reaching their peak form under respective head coaches Eli Drinkwitz and Lane Kiffin. Ole Miss has a chance to prove they can do it against an elite SEC opponent when they take on the Georgia Bulldogs on Nov. 9.

Mizzou will travel to Tuscaloosa to face off against the Crimson Tide on Oct. 26. Maybe the results of those two matchups will change Klatt's perception of these two programs heading into 2025.

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