By Cole Frederick/Sports Correspondent
For the first time since the 2012 season, the Southeastern Conference expanded and added two additional teams in Oklahoma and Texas from the Big 12, giving the conference 16 teams. The SEC abandoned the divisional format, so the sche-dules will range in difficulty for each team over the next two seasons. Teams will play the same conference schedule over the next two years, alternating home and home before the schedule adjusts.
Additionally, this will be the first year for a 12-team playoff for college football. The four Power Four conference champions will earn byes in the first round, while seeds 5 through 8 will host their first-round game. SEC teams should benefit from this new format, and it’s possible four or five SEC teams make the playoff field.
Predicted order of finish with record
1. Georgia (10-2, 6-2)
2. Alabama (10-2, 6-2)
3. Texas (10-2, 6-2)
4. LSU (10-2, 6-2)
5. Ole Miss (10-2, 6-2)
6. Texas A&M (9-3, 5-3)
7. Tennessee (8-4, 5-3)
8. Auburn (8-4, 4-4)
9. Missouri (8-4, 4-4)
10. Oklahoma (7-5, 3-5)
11. Florida (6-6, 2-6)
12. Kentucky (6-6, 2-6)
13. Mississippi State (5-7, 1-7)
14. South Carolina (4-8, 1-7)
15. Arkansas (3-9, 0-8)
16. Vanderbilt (3-9, 0-8)
SEC championship game: Georgia over Alabama
Week 1 Previews and Predictions
Game of the Week: Notre Dame at Texas A&M (-3). Mike Elko’s first game as the head coach of the Aggies is one of the biggest matchups of the college football opening weekend. Elko has plenty of talent to work with, including quarterback Conner Weigman, who was hurt for most of last season. When healthy, Weigman is a dynamic playmaker, and the Aggies could be a surprise contender for a playoff bid if they can sneak past the Irish. Notre Dame also has postseason aspirations,so the atmosphere in College Station will be electric on Saturday evening. Prediction: Texas A&M 24, Notre Dame 23.
Arkansas Pine-Bluff at Arkansas (-48.5). On paper, there aren’t many easy wins for this Arkansas squad. Sam Pittman is on the hottest seat in the SEC, and strangely enough, he hired former Arkansas head coach Bobby Petrino as offensive coordinator. The Hogs need to figure things out quickly because they face one of the toughest schedules in the country. Prediction: Arkansas 56, Arkansas Pine-Bluff 10.
Murray State at Missouri (-46.5). A season ago, Missouri was the biggest surprise in the SEC. Eliah Drinkwitz’s team won 11 games, including a bowl win over Ohio State, so the Tigers enter 2024 with sky-high expectations. The schedule sets up nicely Missouri, and Luther Burden is the most talented receiver in the nation for an explosive offense. Prediction: Missouri 59, Murray State 16.
Temple at Oklahoma (-42.5). Oklahoma’s gift for the entering the SEC is one of the toughest conference schedules in the country. Jackson Arnold, a highly- touted prospect out of high school, takes over at quarterback for Dillon Gabriel, who transferred to Oregon. The strength for the Sooners will be the defense, which happens to be head coach Brent Venables’ specialty. Prediction: Oklahoma 63, Temple 6.
Clemson vs. Georgia (-13.5). The Tigers and Bulldogs combined for four national championships in the four-team playoff era with two apiece, but the programs have trended in opposite directions in recent years. Georgia is the top dog in all of college football, while Clemson has struggled nationally since the departure of Trevor Lawrence. Kirby Smart’s team has some player suspensions during the first half of the season, so Clemson has a chance to keep this game competitive early. However, the Bulldogs should pull away in the second half. Prediction: Georgia 27, Clemson 13.
Virginia Tech at Vanderbilt (+13.5). Vanderbilt is by far the toughest job in the SEC, so the school administration is typically patient with head coaches. Clark Lea has not helped the Commodores turn the corner, but there haven’t been signs that the program is ready to move on from Lea if and when Vandy struggles again in 2024. Virginia Tech will be one of the best teams in the ACC, so this is a brutal draw for the Commodores in Week One. Prediction: Virginia Tech 34, Vanderbilt 16.
UT-Chattanooga at Tennessee (-38.5). A season ago, Josh Heupel suffered through one of the worst offenses of his career. The Volunteers were competent on offense, but not nearly as explosive as they were with Hendon Hooker at quarterback in 2022. This year, highly-touted redshirt freshman Nico Iamaleava takes over under center, and he has the tools to help turn Tennessee back into an elite offense. Prediction: Tennessee 48, UT-Chattanooga 3.
Colorado State at Texas (-32). Texas joins the SEC fresh off its first playoff berth, and the league office gifted the Longhorns one of the easiest conference sche-dules. Nevertheless, the week-to-week grind of the SEC could prove to be more challenging than the experts think for Steve Sarkisan’s bunch. Prediction: Texas 41, Colorado State 10.
Miami at Florida (+2.5). No one in college football plays a tougher schedule overall than the 2024 Florida Gators. In addition to a brutal conference schedule, the Gators face Miami, Florida State and UCF in the non-conference slate. While Florida is only projected to win 4.5 games, Billy Napier actually has arguably a top 30 roster in college football. Miami is one of the most hyped teams in college football.
Old Dominion at South Carolina (-21). Shane Bea-mer has done an admirable job of making South Carolina competitive in the SEC, but the Gamecocks took a step backwards in 2023, and this season could be another tough year in Columbia. Spencer Rattler is in the NFL, and the schedule does South Carolina no favors. Prediction: South Carolina 42, Old Dominion 14.
Eastern Kentucky at Mississippi State (-24.5). Jeff Lebby enters his first season as a head coach in Starkville, and his Bulldogs face an absolute gauntlet of a conference schedule. Reaching a bowl game would be a major accomplishment for this team. While that is not out of the realm of the possibility, the margin for error is slim. Prediction: Mississippi State 38, Eastern Kentucky 17.
Western Kentucky at Alabama (-31.5). The Kalen DeBoer era begins in Tuscaloosa on Saturday, and the Crimson Tide will look much differently on both sides of the ball than they did under Nick Saban. While Saban modernized his offenses over the last decade, the strength of his teams were almost always found on the defensive side of the ball. Alabama still has talent on defense, but DeBoer’s strength as a coach is developing quarterbacks and generating explosive plays on offense. While the style of play will be different, the expectations will not change in T-Town. Prediction: Alabama 52, Western Kentucky 10.
Alabama A&M at Auburn (-47.5). Year 2 of the Hugh Freeze era kicks off with what should be a straightforward easy win over Alabama A&M. Freeze had a very successful offseason on the recruiting trail, and the Tigers are set up for long-term success. As for this year, if Freeze can guide Auburn to eight regular season wins, many would see that as a positive building block moving forward. Prediction: Auburn 55, Alabama A&M 6.
Furman at Ole Miss (-42). Expectations have never been higher for Ole Miss football and for Lane Kiffin. The Rebels went all in for 2024 with NIL resour-ces, and they have an extremely talented roster on both sides of the ball. Jaxson Dart is a legitimate Heisman Trophy contender at quarterback. Surrounded by a multitude of weapons, he should flourish in his third season in Kiffin’s offense. The schedule is manageable, and anything under 10 wins would be a disappointment for the Rebels. Prediction: Ole Miss 56, Furman 7.
Southern Miss at Kentucky (-28). Mark Stoops has turned Kentucky football into a consistent winner, and while the Wildcats have not contended for an SEC title under Stoops – and likely never will – it’s impressive what he’s built in Lexington. Kentucky will always be a basketball school, but Stoops has proven he can get the ‘Cats to a bowl game pretty much every season. That will be a more daunting task this year, but six or seven wins is still an attainable goal. Prediction: Kentucky 38, Southern Miss 13.
USC vs. LSU (-4). One of the highlights of the week one slate will take place in Las Vegas on Sunday night as the Trojans meet the Tigers in what should be a track meet. Both offenses have the weapons to be elite, while the defenses were two of the worst in college football a season ago. Lincoln Riley and Brian Kelly both made new defensive coordinator hires this past offseason that will pay dividends as the year progresses, but the offenses will have the advantage on Sunday. If LSU can improve enough defensively, Kelly will have a playoff-caliber team this year. Prediction: LSU 38, USC 31.