Sans Ole Miss, for the fun of it, rank the finish of the rest of the SEC in 2024

For fun, or for the heck of it, let’s take Ole Miss out of the equation and do a Rebel-less ranking for the other 15 teams in the SEC for the 2024 football season.

I’ll go first.

Georgia – boy, that was a tough one. (Sarcasm.) The Bulldogs are going for their fourth undefeated regular season in a row and their third national title in four years in ’24 and they seem to be shooting an elephant gun with Carson Beck at the helm and a bucket full of 4 and 5 stars around the talented quarterback. To reach their goals, however, they will have to go through Ole Miss in Oxford on November 9.

Texas – With Quinn Ewers back at quarterback off a Final Four College Football Playoff team, the Longhorns should not let down too much, if at all. Without Ole Miss in this picture, the Longhorns will be the main threat to Georgia for the SEC title.

Alabama – The only reason I don’t put them ahead of Texas is because of the unknown of their new head coach. While he seems like a winner, doesn’t there have to be some sort of adjustment period coming off the most decorated coach in college football history? No question they will have the talent to compete with Georgia, but the transition just can’t be that smooth, can it?

Missouri – This set of Tigers doesn’t look like a problem year after year, but somehow they always seem to have a winning record and go to a nice bowl game. Coach Eliah Drinkwitz’ squad won the same number of games, 11, as Ole Miss did a year ago and appear to have a firm foundation to make another statement in 2024. (I know I will get push back on this one and I don’t blame you for doing so.)

LSU – Yes, they lost a Heisman winning quarterback in Jayden Daniels, but the Tigers always have a boatload of talent and QB Garrett Nussmeier put on a show in their bowl game that Daniels opted out of. Their defense needed shoring up from last year and if they have helped that cause, they will challenge. I wanted badly to put them ahead of Missouri, but I just don’t see it right now.

Tennessee – As bad as I hate to admit it, the Vols are worthy of upper half consideration in the conference. Coach Josh Heupel has done a good job of bringing their program up a notch, but they won’t push the top teams, in this humble opinion.

Oklahoma – The Sooners won 10 games last year in Brent Venables’ second season in Norman, but he’s coming into a meat grinder of a conference in 2024 without the offensive coordinator (Jeff Lebby) and quarterback ( Dillon Gabrie l) who led them last year. Upper half is about as high as it will get for them.

Texas A&M – The Aggies continue to be an enigma. Good talent, but unable to get over the hump. This is a funny fan base in that they really believe the Aggies belong in the upper echelon of the SEC but they haven’t done much, off the top of my head, since Johnny Manziel left, have they? Unless Mike Elko brings more toughness to their squad, they will continue to be a 7-5 or 8-4 club at best.

Auburn – Coach Hugh Freeze has revamped his coaching staff and added some key pieces to a roster that had Alabama and Georgia on the ropes last year but could not get across the finish line. A 7-5 record will have Freeze dancing in the streets.

Kentucky – Meh. Average talent for this league. That usually results in winning about half their games and struggling in the conference.

South Carolina – They will struggle to break even at 6-6, but they will play one or two good teams really tough. It just seems to be what they do.

Arkansas – Sorry, but this is Sam’s last year and I hate it. I like the guy and think he is good for college football, but they just don’t have the talent to compete at a high level that I know of.

Florida — has the toughest schedule in the SEC and Billy Napier is on the hot seat.

Mississippi State — is rebooting and is talent deficient right now under new coach Lebby.

Vandy — is still Vandy. Poor things – I don’t even know who their coach is.

How do you feel the SEC will shake out in 2024 – sans Ole Miss?

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