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There's never been a more intriguing time to be a fan of the Southeastern Conference.
In a modernized college football world that's all about NIL and conference realignment, the country's premier collegiate football conference decided it didn't want to be left out of the festivities.
From expansion, to new contenders, to new eras entirely, these are the SEC storylines that you should be watching out for this season.
New Eras at Alabama, Mississippi State
These former SEC West rivals will have to begin anew in 2024. Perhaps the biggest coaching change in college football history belongs to the Crimson Tide of Alabama, who gave a teary goodbye to Nick Saban after 17 legendary seasons. Former Washington head coach Kalen DeBoer will now roam the sidelines in Tuscaloosa, Ala. It's safe to say that there's no coach in the country under more pressure than DeBoer, who will be tasked with upholding Alabama's championship standards on a yearly basis.
An hour and a half to the west, the standards in Starkville, Miss., aren't quite as high. Former Ole Miss and Oklahoma offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby inherits a Mississippi State squad that won just one SEC game in 2023. The expectations aren't high for the Bulldogs, and Lebby has quite the hill to climb if he wants to drag Mississippi State to a bowl game.
Farewell Divisions
No longer will divisions determine who goes to Atlanta to play in the SEC championship. Instead, the two teams with the best conference record will be pressed into championship duty, and with a visit to Atlanta potentially ensuring a bid in the College Football Playoff, making it to the conference championship will be of utmost importance for any contenders. The game also make matchups that were never possible before possible. A potential Alabama vs. LSU SEC title game? Sign us up.
New Kids on the Block
A pair of Red River rivals in Texas and Oklahoma will say hello to their new conference foes in 2024. With both teams supposedly in a position to make a playoff run, many eyes will be on both teams as they traverse their way through their first SEC gauntlet. If either school manages to make it to Atlanta, they'll have proved a lot of doubters wrong along the way. Old-school fans might not like the addition of the former Big 12 Conference members, but college football is all about embracing modernity, even if that means continuing to bolster the strength of an already stacked conference.
Hardware at Last?
Enter Missouri and Ole Miss, two programs that were middling SEC programs just five years ago. Fast forward to 2024, and both schools are considered not just SEC contenders, but national contenders. Lane Kiffin's Rebels have been knocking on the door of a championship run for several seasons now, while Eli Drinkwitz's Missouri Tigers lie in the weeds, waiting pounce on any defense that dares to stop a stretch run to the weak side.
Ole Miss nor Missouri should be considered a top-5 team—at least, not yet—but don't be surprised if either team scores a playoff bid and shakes up the usual playoff field.
What to Expect
It's simple: Expect the unexpected. Parity is growing in college football, and the unknowns floating around at least half of the SEC should give every fan in the country enough water cooler fodder to last a lifetime. There's never been a better time to be an SEC fan, especially if you enjoy unmitigated chaos and elite football.
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