Ranking which SEC opponents are the most intriguing for Texas
Texas and Oklahoma are just one more season away from being members of the SEC, which means they will be ditching old rivalries and making a few new ones.
There are some programs in the SEC that Texas already has history with, others not so much. The conference as a whole was already the deepest and most talented conference in college football, but with the additions of Texas and Oklahoma it feels as if it’s the titans of the sport are all in one place.
With the SEC schedule reveal expected tonight, there have already been a few leaks as to who Texas will be playing in 2024. This has also sparked the debate as to which teams will be giving the Longhorns trouble over the next few years and/or which teams will be an easier matchup for Texas.
I decided to rank the SEC teams that will feature the most intriguing matchups for Texas when it is finally time to move on from the Big 12.
Vanderbilt
There is little intrigue here. Vanderbilt is consistently one of the worst teams in the conference, and other than being in Nashville which is a cool place to visit there isn’t much of a rivalry in the making here.
Kentucky
If this were about how interesting the matchup would be for basketball it would be atop the list. However, even despite Mark Stoops’ efforts to assert that Kentucky is a football school, they aren’t. Kentucky is a historically mediocre program, and unless they turn into a power anytime soon I doubt this is a matchup most fans would get up for.
Mississippi State
The teams have only played four times throughout their history, and while they did split the series there isn’t much of a rivalry here. The Bulldogs are in a new phase after legendary coach Mike Leach passed away, and the two teams haven’t played since 1999.
South Carolina
If they were to play them in 2023, South Carolina would be higher on my rankings solely due to the fact it would pit Texas against Spencer Rattler. However, Rattler will be gone by the time the Longhorns are in the SEC, and the two programs have only met once. The lack of familiarity is why they Gamecocks are so low.
Missouri
Yes, Missouri is a former conference foe that Texas appeared to get chippy with when Tom Herman was coaching, but unfortunately for the Tigers this feels like an instance of them caring more than Texas. There are far more intriguing matchups within the conference.
Ole Miss
The battle of Nick Saban’s former offensive coordinators could be an interesting storyline pitting two great offensive minds against one another, but there are more intriguing storylines remaining. Texas also holds a 6-1 record against them, so historically there hasn’t been a back-and-forth between the two.
Florida
If this were taking place in the late 2000s or early 2010’s it’d be near the top. Who wouldn’t want to see Urban Meyer and Mack Brown go at it with Tim Tebow and Colt McCoy playing quarterback. However, the Gators have been struggling as much as Texas has over the past decade or so, which is why they aren’t higher. However, when Texas plays at the Swamp that will be must-watch.
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Auburn
Auburn may be too high on this list, but they are one the four SEC teams to win a championship recently, and there always appears to be wild endings when it comes to the Tigers. While the two haven’t faced off since 1991, I just know that the game will come down to a last second miracle or debacle for one of the two teams.
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Tennessee
The battle to determine who the real “UT” is. It has been an ongoing fan discussion for quite some time, and now that they get to play each other and settle it on the field I can see it being a very talked about game. Especially since they haven’t played since the 1960s. Social media will go absolutely mad.
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Georgia
This top-5 was the hardest part to do, and you could make an argument for it to be flipped and I probably wouldn’t argue. I think based off of storylines with the programs ahead of them, Georgia falls to five. However, if they continue to build and become a dynasty they will certainly be towards the top.
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Arkansas
This might upset some people due to the fact this is a rivalry from the Southwest Conference, but I still think there is more intrigue with the three teams ahead of them. Maybe once they play each other more often, the energy from the Texas side will match that of the Arkansas side.
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LSU
When Texas and LSU faced a few seasons ago, it felt like it had been a yearly rivalry game. There was animosity between fans and players, and the outcome of the game left a bitter taste in the mouth of Texas fans. This matchup is one that when SEC pods were a rumor, I saw a lot of Texas and LSU being in the same pod.
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Texas A&M
A controversial game that if you ask either program, the other has been dodging for years. Texas A&M will likely host the first meeting, an atmosphere that could top the record books. However, I don’t believe the Aggies are the main rival for Texas.
Alabama
When Alabama came to Austin the energy in that stadium was unlike any other matchup we had seen before. Alabama was the team that knocked at Colt McCoy, and ended the run that Texas was on. They also knocked out Quinn Ewers this past season. These are two of the premier brands in college football, and this is a matchup that will likely break records every year they play.
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