Embrace the Change
The SEC has released the conference schedules for 2024, and intrigue is at an all-time high.
As for the sport of college football, it’s tough to say if conference expansion is good or bad. The older, traditional LSU fan can’t imagine a season in which the Tigers don’t play Auburn. However, even the most archaic of football minds can’t help but get excited about the thought of Oklahoma coming to Tiger Stadium.
On that note, LSU’s 2024 home schedule is one for the ages, so let’s get into it.
Bayou Brawls
With apologies to Nicholls State, UCLA will be the first true threat to visit Baton Rouge in ’24. Chip Kelly has quietly assembled a competitive roster with a healthy combination of high school recruits and transfers. It’s quite possible he’s found the heir apparent to Dorian Thompson-Robinson at quarterback in the 2023 five-star recruit, Dante Moore. Oddly enough, UCLA will be the second Big 10 opponent of the year for the Tigers.
The Tigers could be facing a former LSU quarterback in Walker Howard when Ole Miss comes to town. Regardless of where their talent level is in 2024, Ole Miss is a familiar foe and usually a tough out, as evidenced by students taking the field in 2014.
Photo courtesy: The Advocate
As mentioned earlier, the Oklahoma Sooners are coming to Baton Rouge. This will be the first time that these teams will play in the regular season. Sooners’ head coach Brent Venables has yet to prove that he can successfully lead a premier program, but that’s not to say that he can’t.
LSU’s home schedule will catch a break in the form of Vanderbilt. That’s quite enough game analysis in this case (Sorry, Vandy).
On the opposite end of the spectrum, a sense of tradition remains with a visit from Alabama. The Tide is fighting to keep their place among the elite with the rise of Georgia, and Nick Saban will always have his teams prepared for LSU. If Brian Kelly keeps the Tigers on their current trajectory, this game could end in another classic.
Road Hazards
South Carolina hasn’t managed to break into the upper echelon of SEC programs, but they’re trending in the right direction. Head coach Shane Beamer won eight games in 2022, but he’ll be breaking in a new quarterback after the departure of current starter, Spencer Rattler. Williams-Brice Stadium is one of the most underrated atmospheres in the sport. The Gamecocks have gone 10-4 at home in the last two seasons. Half of those losses came to Georgia and Clemson.
Texas A&M is also home to a raucous crowd, but will it be Jimbo Fisher’s home in 2024? That question will likely hinge on the team’s performance in 2023. Jimbo or no Jimbo, the Aggies have recruited well and have all the resources to continue to be a thorn in the side of LSU.
Speaking of hot seats, Florida’s Billy Napier has a lot to prove before facing LSU in the Swamp in 2024. Be it buy-in or a question of internal alignment, Florida is not the perennial power it could be. Given adequate time (see Mike Norvell), Napier is a winner. Regardless, one can never chalk up a trip to Gainesville as an easy win.
The good news for LSU facing Arkansas on the road is KJ Jefferson won’t be there. The bad news is it’s still the Arkansas Razorbacks. Besides the magical 2019 season, it’s always a battle for the Tigers in Fayetteville.
“So the last will be first, and the first will be last.” The last opponent we will mention will be LSU’s first opponent of the year, the USC Trojans. The Tigers will kick off the 2024 season with a neutral site game in Las Vegas. This game will by no means put an end to the arguments of 2003, but it will give one of these fanbases bragging rights that could possibly be even more gratifying 20 years later. USC’s Lincoln Riley will undoubtedly bring a high-flying offense, and the LSU secondary will be tested early. The difference is LSU somehow has Garrett Nussmeier waiting for his chance to start, and the Trojans will have a new starter at quarterback. This could be college football’s most highly anticipated game of the year.
Considering the strength of the conference, LSU’s 2024 is relatively manageable. Change is inevitable. Auburn and Mississippi State will be missed, but the new scheduling format will ensure that all teams will play each other in a two-year span. It’s important to note that this is a one-year schedule, and more changes will come in 2025.
Photo courtesy: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports
