“Coach, what are the expectations for the season? Are we talking national championship or just making sure everyone remembers their cleats?” This week, these will be common questions as the Southeastern Conference heads to Dallas for SEC Media Days. While it may be all sunshine and roses at the podium, FanDuel put out the win totals for the 16 teams. We’ll break them down into tiers and provide insights as the teams head to the Metroplex next week.
SEC Media Days Information
The 2024 SEC Football Kickoff Media Days, presented by Regions, will be at the Omni Dallas Hotel from July 15 to 18. The SEC Network will broadcast the event daily, starting at 9 a.m. CT each morning. Here is the schedule for all the teams next week:
Monday, July 15
- LSU
- Ole Miss
- South Carolina
- Vanderbilt
Tuesday, July 16
Wednesday, July 17
Thursday, July 18
SEC Win Totals
All lines courtesy of FanDuel, the official partner of Last Word on College Football.
Eyes on Atlanta
2024 SEC Win Totals
- Georgia 10½
- Texas 10½
Georgia and Texas are the media darlings heading into 2024. The Bulldogs have won two of the last three national championships and narrowly missed a third straight College Football Playoff appearance last year. There is plenty of excitement in Austin for the Longhorns to join the SEC. Quinn Ewers stated earlier this offseason that “Texas will be everyone’s biggest game.” The round one of this matchup will be on October 19 in Austin.
Playoffs? Playoffs?
2024 SEC Win Totals
- Alabama 9½
- LSU 9½
- Missouri 9½
- Ole Miss 9½
- Tennessee 9½
For the first 14 years of the College Football Playoff, the only path to entrance for these teams was winning the SEC of being Alabama (kidding, sort of). The playoff expands to 12 teams in 2024. The four highest-ranked conference champions will earn byes, leaving eight at-large spots open. The SEC could see as many as three or four teams taking those places. Ole Miss, Alabama, and Missouri seemingly have the most momentum heading into 2024.
The Rebels have third-year quarterback Jaxson Dart returning and some new faces thanks to the Transfer Portal and Lane Kiffin. Missouri has one of the most favorable schedules heading into the season and 10 or 11 wins do not seem out of the question. Alabama is under new leadership with Kalen DeBoer, but he is coming off a national championship appearance last year with Washington.
The Volunteers will go as far as Nico Iamaleava’s arm will take them. LSU seems lost in the mix, and you have to think that not going over the 9.5 wins this year might put Brian Kelly on the hot seat in Baton Rouge.
Let’s Go Bowling
2024 SEC Win Totals
- Texas A&M 8½
- Auburn 7½
- Oklahoma 7½
- Kentucky 6½
Welcome to the SEC’s middle tier. These teams are not expected to challenge for an SEC Championship or even a playoff spot, but each has the opportunity to disrupt someone above them’s hopes and dreams. Mike Elko takes over in College Station and is expected to bring stability and consistency to the Aggies. Kyle Field will be rocking when the 12th Man welcomes the Longhorns on Saturday night of Thanksgiving weekend.
7.5 seems low for Auburn, especially given the sizzle that came in when Hugh Freeze was hired last year. Questions at quarterback make us think that Vegas may be right. We highlighted a couple of weeks ago that the SEC has not done any favors for Oklahoma’s schedule. Lots of tough road games and a tough stretch make you wonder if the Sooners will be longing for the Big 12. Kentucky is consistent under Mark Stoops. Six or seven wins probably seem right, but how will Big Blue Nation feel after Stoops’ eyes were caught wandering in the Texas A&M coaching search?
Not Great, Bob
2024 SEC Win Totals
- Arkansas 5½
- Florida 5½
- South Carolina 5½
- Miss State 4½
- Vanderbilt 2½
This group has one new coach in the mix, but you can see that all of these programs’ coaches are on the hot seat and need big things to keep their jobs going forward. Sam Pittman had a really nice year in 2020 but has since seen the Hogs backslide. He hired Bobby Petrino as his new offensive coordinator and is seemingly the coach-in-waiting if things go south in Fayetteville.
Billy Napier has found no traction as the Gators’ head coach. Florida has missed bowl games in two straight years and seems to be spiraling. Napier has one of the nation’s most difficult schedules. Another poor showing will see if Scott Stricklin can get enough “scared money” to buy him out.
What do we make of Shane Beamer? He enters year four in Columbia and is just two games over .500 in his tenure. The Gamecocks had late winning streaks in 2021 and 2022 to go bowling. Beamer couldn’t find the same magic last year. He will need to find it again to find year five.
Jeff Lebby was an odd hire. He has ties to the SEC with Ole Miss, but he lacks the wow factor you would expect of a first-time SEC Coach. Can he refind Mike Leach’s magic, or will the Cowbells be silenced in Starkville?
We were all rooting for Clark Lea. The Vanderbilt alum has found little to no traction and quite the uphill climb in Nashville. Lea has failed to win more than two games in two of his three seasons.
2024 Predictions
SEC Championship Game: Georgia vs. Missouri
Champion: Georgia Bulldogs
College Football Playoff Participants: Georgia (#1 seed), Missouri, Texas, Ole Miss, and Alabama.
