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I ranked the 'new SEC' for 2024 football season. And why Tennessee is No. 5. | Adams
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- I ranked the 'new SEC' for 2024 football season. And why Tennessee is No. 5. | Adams
Michigan and Washington teams will play for a national championship Monday night, but the rest of college football is looking head to next season . So am I.
Here's how I rank a bigger, better SEC:
1. Georgia:An accommodating schedule helped the Bulldogs make a run at a third consecutive national championship. The schedule will toughen next season with games at Alabama and Texas .
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But Georgia has no trouble getting and developing star players, even if that means turning rival Florida into a farm team − as evidenced by the acquisition of former Gators running back Trevor Etienne . You could see their depth of talent in the Orange Bowl 63-3 rout of Florida State .
2. Alabama:The big question about the Tide offense in preseason: Who would win the starting quarterback job? The big question in 2024: Can quarterback Jalen Milroe make a run at the next Heisman Trophy?
3. Texas:The Longhorns could begin their SEC venture as they ended their Big 12 competition: In the College Football Playoff.
Never mind that they will lose players early to the NFL. If quarterback Quinn Ewers returns as expected, the Longhorns should be ready to teach their new conference competition that you don't mess with Texas.
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4. Ole Miss :Nobody flourished in the transfer portal more than Rebels coach Lane Kiffin until Deion Sanders arrived in Colorado. But there's a difference.
To paraphrase Oregon coach Dan Lanning: Sanders is in it for clicks; Kiffin is in it for wins.
5. Tennessee :Vols coach Josh Heupel was just active enough in the portal to fill crucial needs in the secondary and at receiver. The offensive line will return four starters, and redshirt freshman Nico Iamaleava could be an instant star at quarterback.
6. LSU :The Tigers defense can't help but be better. However, the offense can't expect to be as good without Heisman Trophy quarterback Jayden Daniels , who wasn't just one of the nation's premier passers but also LSU's best runner.
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7. Oklahoma :The Sooners won't ease into a new conference. Their schedule will include Texas, Alabama, LSU, Ole Miss and Tennessee.
Big things are expected of new quarterback Jackson Arnold , but the Sooners need to shore up their defense. They allowed an average of 30.4 points in their last seven regular-season games.
8. Texas A&M:You would have thought a Tsunami was predicted for College Station the way high-profile players fled for the transfer portal. Nonetheless, new coach Mike Elko should be smart enough to figure out the program isn't bereft of talent.
The Aggies will have talent and depth at running back, and injured quarterback Conner Weigman will return to lead the offense.
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9. Missouri :I'm not suggesting that the Tigers 10-win regular season was a fluke. But in a 16-team SEC, 10 wins might never come again – unless they can keep finding All-SEC running backs at Truman State.
10. Kentucky :Count on the Wildcats slipping a couple of rungs down the SEC ladder with the addition of Oklahoma and Texas. But just when I think they're in danger of a decline under coach Mark Stoops, they do something to surprise me – like upset a 10-win Louisville team.
And they always manage to make news in the transfer portal, as they did with the recent signing of two Georgia transfers, quarterback Brock Vandagriff and linebacker Jamon Dumas-Johnson .
11. Auburn:Coach Hugh Freeze has a track record for developing quarterback. But his biggest contribution to that position so far with the Tigers has been turning Milroe into a fourth-and-31 Alabama hero.
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12. Florida:The Gators have lost seven games in each of the past two seasons under coach Billy Napier. But they haven't hit bottom yet.
Florida's 2024 schedule tells me Bottom is waiting in the on-deck circle.
13. South Carolina :The Gamecocks tend to be more patient with their coaches than most of the SEC does, so perhaps Shane Beamer will have a job at this time next year. But I wouldn't be foolish enough to put money on it.
No matter how things turn out for one of the league's most annoying coaches, I always will cherish the memory of mayonnaise being poured on his head.
14. Arkansas :The Razorbacks tried to get coach Sam Pittman fired last season but came up short. They should be bad enough to finish the job in 2024.
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15. Mississippi State :The Bulldogs have changed coaches in back-to-back seasons. They can check with Tennessee to see how well that will work out.
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16. Vanderbilt:Thanks to divisional play, the Commodores couldn't finish lower than seventh. Now, 16 will become their permanent number, and it won't be in honor of Peyton Manning .
John Adams is a senior columnist. He may be reached at 865-342-6284 or john.adams@knoxnews.com. Follow him at: twitter.com/johnadamskns.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: How I ranked the SEC for 2024 football. And why Tennessee is No. 5
