10 SEC teams featured in updated College Football Power Rankings from ESPN
Winter workouts are happening across the country. Spring ball is right around the corner. Though the 2024 college football season is still more than six months away, the SEC is shaping up to be a lot of fun in the new era of college football.
Realignment has consolidated power in the SEC and the Big Ten, and it’ll be on full display this fall, especially as the College Football Playoff expands to 12 teams this season.
As the Oklahoma Sooners get set for their first season in their new conference, the schedule provides a number of challenges. But having marquee matchups throughout the schedule is what the Sooners were looking for. In ESPN’s most recent power rankings update ahead of spring ball, 10 SEC schools were featured. Here’s who made the cut.
1. Georgia Bulldogs
Georgia is going to be everyone’s No. 1 team in the nation. Because of course they will be.
The Bulldogs were arguably the best team in college football in 2023, but that loss to Alabama prevented the three-peat. They’ll come in with a more experienced Carson Beck, who is tied for the best Heisman odds for 2024.
4. Texas Longhorns
The Texas Longhorns lost a lot of skill talent, but they bring back impact defensive players and one of the best quarterbacks in the country in Quinn Ewers. The hype will be strong with the Longhorns and if they can beat Oklahoma this year, it won’t slow down.
6. Ole Miss Rebels
With the transition at Alabama, Ole Miss is a popular team to replace them in the SEC hierarchy. Lane Kiffin’s built a strong team with big-time transfer additions each of the last two offseasons. Can they put it all together and make a run in 2024?
7. Missouri Tigers
Missouri hadn’t had a season with more than six wins in each of Eli Drinkwitz first three years in Columbia. But they broke through in year four to win 11 games and beat Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl. The schedule sets up well and they bring back arguably the best wide receiver in the country in Luther Burden. But with some transition on defense, they may find it difficult to repeat their success from a year ago.
9. Alabama Crimson Tide
Alabama is Alabama. Kalen DeBoer is a good coach. But how much of a drop off, if any, will they experience with the departure of Nick Saban. Jalen Milroe returns and gets a boost from DeBoer’s presence in Tuscaloosa.
12. LSU Tigers
Garrett Nussmeier gives the LSU Tigers a good quarterback to replace Heisman winner Jaylen Daniels. However, the Tigers are losing important skill talent with Malik Nabers expected to go in the first round of the NFL draft. The offense should be good enough, but if the defense doesn’t improve, it’ll be tough sledding for the Tigers.
14. Oklahoma Sooners
For Oklahoma, the questions are mostly on offense as Bill Bedenbaugh gets back to work to retool his offensive line and the Sooners also welcome a new starter at quarterback. There’s optimism that Oklahoma will still be really good offensively and the Sooners defense should take another step in 2024. Oklahoma could be back in the playoff as soon as this season.
16. Tennessee Volunteers
Like Oklahoma, much of Tennessee’s success will depend on the play of their first-year starting, former five-star quarterback Nico Iamaleava. He’s got all the talent in the world, but now needs to go show it. If he’s as good as everyone thinks he is, then the Volunteers will be flirting with playoff contention as well.
23. Kentucky Wildcats
The Wildcats have been a solid program under Mark Stoops, but heading into 2024, they’ll have to figure out the quarterback situation. They have a former five-star prospect in Brock Vandagriff that may be the answer. But still, climbing the SEC ladder will be tough for the Wildcats.
25. Texas A&M Aggies
The Jimbo Fisher era is over. In comes Mike Elko, who arrives in College Station with a strong reputation. His Duke teams regularly overachieved. If Elko can rebuild the culture with Texas A&M‘s coffers, the Aggies will be in good shape.
Teams Not Ranked
