More Ratings. More Conference Games. Week 9 SEC Betting Lines

Welcome to the Week 9 SEC slate! The last two weekends have brought plenty of exciting games and shocking upsets. Most importantly, though, the last two weeks have focused the college football viewing public’s attention on the Southeastern Conference. Last week, Texas and Georgia met in one of the most hyped games of the college football season. While the game may have disappointed a bit on the field (maybe more for Texas than Georgia), the game drew plenty of eyeballs. 13.2 million viewers tuned into the game, making it the most viewed game in 2024. Here is a closer look at the games that have drawn at least five million viewers this season. You will notice a trend, #ItJustMeansMore.

1. Texas – Georgia (Week 8) 13.2 million
2. Georgia – Alabama (Week 5) 11.99 million
3. Alabama – Tennessee (Week 8) 10.2 million
4. Oregon – Ohio State (Week 7) 9.6 million 
5. Texas – Michigan (Week 2) 91.19 million
6. USC – LSU (Week 0/1) 8.62 million
7. Texas – Oklahoma (Week 7) 7.63 million
8. Notre Dame – Texas A&M (Week 0/1) 7.292 million
9. Clemson – Georgia (Week 0/1) 7.58 million
10. Georgia – Kentucky (Week 3) 6.6 million
11. Miami – Florida (Week 0/1) 6.35 million
12. USC – Michigan (Week 4) 6.32 million 
13. Tennesssee – Oklahoma (Week 4) 6.27 million
14. South Carolina – Alabama (Week 7) 6 million
15. Colorado – Nebraska (Week 2) 5.67 million  
16. Tennessee – Arkansas (Week 6) 5.29 million
17. Oklahoma – Auburn (Week 5) 5.04 million
18. Alabama – Wisconsin (Week 3) 5.03 million

There have been 18 games this season with at least five million voters. Only three of those games do not feature at least one SEC team. So, while we can hear plenty about the Big Two (the SEC and Big Ten), our data tells a different story. The numbers illustrate that the SEC draws the most eyeballs. With Disney and ESPN struggling, the SEC has revitalized and focused the attention on college football viewings.

Moving From Eight to Nine

2024 has seen the demise of divisions along with welcoming in Texas and Oklahoma. What has stayed the same is the eight-game conference schedule. SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey said it was the Longhorns and Sooners coming early that made the league stay at eight. “Remember, 2024 and 2025 are at eight. 2024 was a year earlier than the membership invitation (for Oklahoma and Texas) originally stated.” Sankey said.  “All the changes around us made this the right time. We are thrilled to be where we are, but it was a quicker timeframe. So just walking away from a lot of non-conference games, also wanting to see what happened with the CFP, the wise thing I think is what we’ve done, which is stay at eight.”

While that plays nicely, you can bet that Sankey and Disney will be looking at these data points when looking ahead to 2025 or 2026. The more viewers, the more leverage Sankey will have to “motivate” ESPN to increase their dollars to bring in nine conference games. Nine games bring more challenges to the league. More losses. The six-win threshold for bowl eligibility. What should we do with FCS and ACC rivalries? We know or have learned that money talks louder than many of these questions or problems. The numbers so far have shown that nine is coming. And we can’t wait.

Week 9 SEC Eyeball Watch

We will add the Week 9 SEC eyeball watch with the season heading into its final month of the regular season shortly.  The eyeball watch provides key insights on who is in contention for an SEC Championship and a spot in the College Football Playoff. We have a logjam atop the SEC. Texas A&M and LSU are the only teams undefeated (for this week). Five teams have one loss, and four have two losses (including Alabama). One loss keeps an SEC Championship in the mirror. Two losses make it dicey; three or more forget about it. Here are three teams from the Week 9 SEC slate needing a win.

• Ole Miss: Ole Miss needs to win out. The loss to Kentucky is looking worse with each passing week. The Lane Train has an opportunity to get right over a floundering Oklahoma program.
• Alabama: While it’s exciting to celebrate Alabama’s two losses, it does make you appreciate how good the Tide have been over the last twenty years. Change is hard. Kalen DeBoer is an excellent coach. He will right the ship, and nobody will want to see Alabama as an opponent as a road opponent in the first round of the playoff. First, they need to get right. Missouri is a great opportunity to do so.
• College Station:  The winner of the biggest game of the Week 9 SEC slate is setting themselves for an inside track to Atlanta and a chance to secure the top spot in the playoff. Texas A&M and LSU have shown their warts this season but have navigated them to an undefeated conference record. In the words of the late great Al Davis, “Just win, baby!”

Week 9 SEC Betting Lines

Rankings are based on the AP media poll. SEC betting lines and game totals are courtesy of FanDuel. All games are Eastern Standard Time. Check the links for insights from your favorite Last Word on College Football writers.