The SEC 2024 schedule release: Best games, what’s missing and winners and losers
The SEC releasing its yearly schedule is always big offseason news. When the Oklahoma Sooners and Texas Longhorns are joining the conference, it’s paramount.
On Wednesday night, the SEC released its schedule for the 2024 season, the first year the Sooners and Longhorns will be playing alongside Alabama, Georgia and the rest of the teams from the most dominant conference in college football.
The conference already made news by sticking with an eight-game schedule when a nine-game slate was on the table earlier this spring. The news now shifts to the gridiron where the conference’s biggest matchups are officially set.
So, who are the biggest winners and losers of the schedule release and what games should we be excited for? More importantly, what games are we going to miss as Oklahoma and Texas crash the party?
Our writers take you through the biggest questions coming out of the SEC schedule release.
Game you’re most excited for
Georgia vs. Alabama: This will be only the fifth time in the past 20 years that we’ve seen this game in the regular season, and if we’re lucky, we’ll see both of these teams still at or near the top of their powers when this game rolls around in 2024. Alabama has been the standard of college football since 2009, with Georgia coming on in the last handful of years as not just a challenger for that throne, but as a successor the last two seasons. Assuming Nick Saban is still around, I don’t think any of us would complain about not having to wait until the SEC championship or national championship to watch these two programs get after it. It’s college football at its peak. — Harry Lyles Jr.
Texas at Texas A&M: They’ve met 118 times, but not since 2011, when Justin Tucker broke the Aggies’ hearts with a walk-off field goal to send A&M off to the SEC with a 27-25 loss. But that hasn’t prevented the non-stop will-they-or-won’t-they discussion from popping up every few years, all while fans of the two schools continued to chirp and compare everything between the two programs. Finally, the Lone Star Showdown is back, and bragging rights won’t be decided by arguments about recruiting rankings, brands or revenue or who needs the game the most, but instead by lining up and actually playing football against each other. What a concept. — Dave Wilson
Tennessee at Oklahoma: In just two years, Josh Heupel has Tennessee’s program nationally relevant again. The Vols’ trip to Norman has a few different storylines. Brent Venables will be in his third season as Oklahoma’s head coach, and the Sooners’ fans will be expecting a breakthrough by then similar to what Tennessee accomplished in Heupel’s second season. Moreover, Heupel will be returning to his alma mater, where he was a Heisman Trophy finalist. But that doesn’t necessarily mean Heupel has warm and fuzzy feelings about his alma mater after being fired as offensive coordinator by former coach Bob Stoops following the 2015 season. — Chris Low
Oklahoma at Mizzou(!): Hey, sue me, I grew up in Oklahoma, I live in Columbia, and I miss this game a lot. Okay, fine, the real answer is Aggies-Horns, but either way, one of the unique things about OU and Texas moving to the SEC is that it actually reignites a few matchups that either had a long history (A&M-Texas, but also Arkansas-Texas and Mizzou-Oklahoma) or a short but interesting history (OU-A&M, a.k.a. the 77-0 Bowl; Mizzou-Texas, a.k.a. the “Our bad years are better than their good years” Bowl). That is small consolation for the Big 12 schools that lost their most big-name rivals, but in realignment we take what we can get. — Bill Connelly
Biggest game we’re missing?
Georgia at Texas A&M: I’m starting to wonder if we’ll ever see Georgia and Texas A&M play an SEC game at Kyle Field. Yes, I know it will happen at some point. But the Aggies have been a member of the league since 2012, and the Bulldogs have yet to visit College Station. Part of the excitement of the new-look SEC is seeing an established power like Georgia go from its own football-obsessed state into another football-obsessed state like Texas. And now that Bobby Petrino is back in the league as Texas A&M’s offensive coordinator, seeing his offense go up against Kirby Smart’s defense would make for high drama. — Low
Georgia at South Carolina: Maybe it doesn’t qualify as a top-tier rivalry game — the Bulldogs may not even count the Gamecocks as a rival at all — but it’s a shame the two soon-to-be-former SEC East members won’t continue a series that dates back to 1992. There have been some great moments in the series. I’m thinking of 2019, in particular. And I’m bullish on what Shane Beamer and his staff are building in Columbia. It would have been fun to see the upstart try to take down the reigning champ. — Alex Scarborough
Texas vs. LSU: Honestly, I was hoping for Longhorns vs. Tigers. They brewed some bad blood after fighting over Tom Herman in 2016 (remember that?), and that’s a rivalry that has plenty of potential. But I’m just going to calmly continue to assume that eventually right minds will prevail, the league will move to a nine-game conference schedule, and everyone will play everyone every couple of years. That will create enough rivalry opportunities in itself. — Connelly
1:41
SEC commish talks challenges of football scheduling
SEC commissioner Greg Sankey discusses the many factors that go into the league’s scheduling format.
Biggest winner
The fans: For the most part, the SEC did a great job keeping its most important games intact. Even less prestigious rivalries like Arkansas-LSU and Alabama-Tennessee will continue. Each school will play one of the two conference newcomers in Oklahoma and Texas. And there are no repeat trips from the 2023 season. The only thing that would be better for the fans is if the SEC came out on Wednesday and said they will be playing a nine-game schedule in 2025 and beyond. Because a long-term eight-game conference schedule won’t satisfy this many people. So enjoy it while you can. — Scarborough
Rivalries: Kudos to the SEC for doing everything it could to match up schools that have some type of history and not forgetting about tradition. Some of the games were obvious (Alabama-Auburn, Florida-Georgia, Mississippi State-Ole Miss, Oklahoma-Texas, Texas-Texas A&M and Alabama-Tennessee), but it’s nice to see other matchups such as Alabama-LSU, Arkansas-Texas, Florida-Tennessee, Florida-LSU, Georgia-Tennessee and LSU-Ole Miss preserved. — Low
Arkansas: They kept LSU, they kept Ole Miss (one of the most underrated games on the college football slate), they kept Missouri (for whatever that’s worth), they kept A&M and they added Texas. That’s almost perfect for the Hogs. — Connelly
Texas A&M: The Aggies made the most noise about Texas entering the SEC, and athletic director Ross Bjork even made it clear he expected the league to schedule the first A&M-Texas game in College Station, “just because of everything that’s transpired,” he told The Athletic. Not only did Bjork get his wish, but the Aggies also get LSU at home, miss Alabama and Georgia completely and have a road slate that includes trips to Auburn, Mississippi State, Florida and South Carolina. In this lineup, that’s a very friendly schedule. — Wilson
Biggest loser
Alabama: Good luck finding any easy schedules in 2024, but Alabama’s road slate is brutal. Not only do the Crimson Tide have to play at LSU, Oklahoma and Tennessee within the conference, but they also visit Wisconsin the second week of the season in a nonconference game. The “good” news is that they get two-time defending national champion Georgia at home. — Low
Georgia: Bye-bye Vanderbilt. So long Missouri. There will be no more running roughshod over a down SEC East for Georgia. The Bulldogs will face a gauntlet as the conference goes division-less with Florida in Jacksonville, Auburn and Tennessee at home, and road trips to Alabama, Texas, Ole Miss and Kentucky. — Scarborough
Oklahoma: It’s hard to say either the Sooners or the Longhorns can be “losers” coming into the SEC. And while I agree with Alex, I think fans in Norman might understandably feel some type of way about only having three true home games in 2024 (Alabama, South Carolina, Tennessee) because of their designation as the home team against Texas at the Cotton Bowl. The positive in this: Two of their three toughest games are going to be at home against the Crimson Tide and Volunteers, while they get a trip to Death Valley against LSU. — Lyles Jr.
Savings accounts: If you are a Texas fan, can you miss a road trip to an old rival against Arkansas? Another one to Texas A&M? You can’t miss Oklahoma. Then there are home games against Georgia and Florida. Oklahoma fans get a road trip to LSU, and home games against Alabama and/or Tennessee. It’s all great for fans, but rough on the ol’ pocketbook. — Wilson
Every team’s 2024 SEC opponents
Away: LSU, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Vanderbilt
Home: Auburn, Georgia, Missouri, South Carolina
Away: Auburn, Mississippi State, Missouri, Texas A&M
Home: LSU, Ole Miss, Tennessee, Texas
Away: Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Missouri
Home: Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Vanderbilt
Away: Georgia (Jacksonville), Mississippi State, Tennessee, Texas
Home: Kentucky, LSU, Ole Miss, Texas A&M
Away: Alabama, Kentucky, Ole Miss, Texas
Home: Auburn, Florida (Jacksonville), Mississippi State, Tennessee
Away: Florida, Ole Miss, Tennessee, Texas
Home: Auburn, Georgia, South Carolina, Vanderbilt
Away: Arkansas, Florida, South Carolina, Texas A&M
Home: Alabama, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Vanderbilt
Away: Georgia, Ole Miss, Tennessee, Texas
Home: Arkansas, Florida, Missouri, Texas A&M
Away: Alabama, Mississippi State, South Carolina, Texas A&M
Home: Arkansas, Auburn, Oklahoma, Vanderbilt
Away: Auburn, LSU, Missouri, Ole Miss
Home: Alabama, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas (at Dallas)
Away: Arkansas, Florida, LSU, South Carolina
Home: Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi State, Oklahoma
Away: Alabama, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Vanderbilt
Home: LSU, Ole Miss, Missouri, Texas A&M
Away: Arkansas, Georgia, Oklahoma, Vanderbilt
Home: Alabama, Florida, Kentucky, Mississippi State
Away: Arkansas, Oklahoma (Dallas), Texas A&M, Vanderbilt
Home: Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi State
Away: Auburn, Florida, Mississippi State, South Carolina
Home: Arkansas, LSU, Missouri, Texas
Away: Auburn, Kentucky, LSU, Missouri
Home: Alabama, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas
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Heather Dinich, Senior College Football Insider
ATLANTA — Following Ohio State‘s fourth straight loss to Michigan, the players had a meeting with coach Ryan Day during which they “really hashed some things out,” quarterback Will Howard said Saturday, a turning point in their season that helped propel the team to Monday’s national championship game against Notre Dame.
“It was really a truth-telling time,” Howard said at the College Football Playoff media day. “The facts were laid out there. People were challenged. Everyone including myself had to look in the mirror a little bit and say, ‘What can I do better? How can we fix this thing?’ The thing that we clung to was we still have this opportunity out in front of us to right all these wrongs and go play for a national championship and here we are. We’re right where we wanted to be. A lot of people wrote us off, but we really just believed in ourselves.”
The Buckeyes were favored by 21 points against Michigan, the widest point spread for the rivalry since 1978, according to ESPN Research. Since then, they have reeled off three straight playoff wins — against Tennessee, Big Ten champion Oregon and SEC runner-up Texas.
Ohio State offensive coordinator Chip Kelly said the team has shown its resiliency over the past few weeks, but had a choice to make.
“They talked through it,” Kelly said. “I think they understood what was presented, what’s ahead of us. I think that’s a big point. When you look at the game against Michigan, it could be one of two things: It could be your tombstone, or it could be a stepping stone, and Ryan and our players turned it into a stepping stone.”
Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles said the 13-10 loss to Michigan made the team closer. After the first loss of the season to Oregon, Knowles said, “There were a lot of fingers being pointed at the defense. And the second one, it was kind of the other way.”
“I made a point to say to our guys, ‘Remember what that felt like the first time? You need to go out of your way to pick up your brothers on offense,'” Knowles said. “In a way they did, and it kind of really merged us.”
The Buckeyes are making their sixth national championship game appearance (national championship games began with the inception of the BCS in the 1998 season), but haven’t won one since the 2014 season. Ohio State is 2-3 in national championship games. The Buckeyes are trying to win their first national title under Day, who faced heavy backlash and questions about his job security following the loss to Michigan.
“Every year you learn and you grow,” he said, “trying to be self-aware enough to surround yourself with people who will tell you the truth, hoping to get better, and that’s really all you can do.
“When you go through great moments, you really grab on to the people who are around you, and it’s the same thing when you go through difficult moments,” Day said. “That’s why you build relationships.”
Ohio State has a 6-2 lead in the all-time series and has won six straight. Notre Dame’s last win over Ohio State came in 1936. Knowles said Day never allowed any of the criticism to impact his work or effect the staff.
“It’s not something we talk about because we just try to put our heads down and work,” Knowles said. “But in the end, brothers in arms, you’re happy he is being seen for the quality of person and coach that he is because he does a great job and he cares about the players and is in tune with what’s going on with the staff. The only thing you can do to help is win, so I’m glad we have done that.”
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Paolo Uggetti, ESPN
ATLANTA — After being limited to one catch in Ohio State‘s Cotton Bowl semifinal victory over Texas, freshman phenom Jeremiah Smith gave a warning Saturday in advance of the Buckeyes’ national championship matchup against Notre Dame.
“If you are going to play man [to-man defense] against Ohio State, be ready,” Smith said. “I can’t wait to put on a show.”
Smith, who repeatedly pointed out during his media day availability that the Irish play man-to-man defense “80%” of the time, acknowledged that he relishes when defenses try to stop him with only one defender.
“What [the Irish do] they do very, very well. So for them to change up what they do, would be kind of silly,” Ohio State wide receivers coach Brian Hartline told ESPN. “They’re really, really good players, great players on the outside. And we’re really great players on the outside, too. It’s what you want in a game of this magnitude.”
Following Smith’s best game of the season against Oregon in the Rose Bowl (187 yards and two touchdowns), Texas’ secondary sold out to stop Smith, whose only catch in the Buckeyes’ win was for 3 yards.
“You watch the film — they doubled, tripled me,” Smith said. “It’s frustrating, but being a decoy helped us win the game.”
In his first year at Ohio State, Smith has been a supernova, catching 71 passes for 1,227 yards and 14 touchdowns. Heading into this game, he’s averaging 17.3 yards per catch.
“He’s one of the most talented dudes I’ve been around … you always want to try to get him the ball,” quarterback Will Howard said. “But he can also take out two or three guys at a time [as a decoy], and sometimes that’s a good thing.”
Smith’s performance in the Cotton Bowl was by far his least productive of the season, but it helped to open up opportunities for other skill players such as Carnell Tate (seven catches for 87 yards) and Quinshon Judkins (two receiving touchdowns).
Whether the Irish try to go away from their usual playing style in order to limit Smith or stick to their scheme remains to be seen. Although Smith noted that Notre Dame’s secondary might be the best they have faced all season, he is ready for the challenge.
“If I’ve got to be a decoy in this game, I’ll be a decoy,” Smith said. “All I want to do is win.”
Also, Ohio State star DE JT Tuimoloau, who rolled his ankle against Texas, talked about his health and the injury.
“I feel really good. I feel really good. One thing, our strength coach says you can’t do too much of taking care of your body, so I’m overloaded on take care of everything.”
Tuimoloau said he’s been somewhat limited in practice to nurse the ankle back.
“Me and Coach Day bumped heads; I want to get out there, he wants me to rest, so we met somewhere in the middle.”
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