Welcome back oh great and wonderful college football fans! We are nearing the end of our pre-season SOS discussions, and I have to thank all of you for sticking with me. These are heavy on data and sometimes a little difficult to follow, but we are almost done. In fact, after this post, there are only two more before the first games of the season!
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But, today, we are focusing on one of the few winners of the latest realignment, the now 16-team SEC. The addition of two 10-win teams makes the conference that much stronger. These two teams put pressure on conferences to strengthen themselves and led, with other reasons as well, to the complete demise of the Pac 12 (to the point that only 2 teams are left), with the Big 12, ACC, and Big Ten sharing the other 10. The expansion of the SEC literally changed the college football landscape, yet again. With 8 teams in the top 25 most difficult schedules and 7 having double digit winners last season, 15 of the 16 will have to work hard for success (yes, I’m getting tired of bringing up Missouri and their decidedly non-SEC-like schedule). This will be a very exciting season as we figure out how to deal with some rivalry games not being played, and maybe, just maybe, some new ones will be kicked off in 2024.
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In the table below, (F) indicates an FCS opponent, (G) indicates a Group of 5 foe, (4) indicates a non-conference Core 4 (ACC, Big 12, Big Ten, Notre Dame) opponent, and (N) indicates a neutral site game. The SEC plays 8 conference games but every team plays at least one Core 4 team out of conference. It is with pleasure that I present the 2024 SEC.
| Team | 2023 Record (Rank) | 2024 PS SOS (Rank) | Home Games | Away/Neutral Games | Opp 2023 Rec |
| Florida Gators (1) | 5-7 (47) | 10.26 (2) | (54-35/.607) Samford (F), Miami FL (4), UCF (4), Texas A&M, Kentucky, LSU, Mississippi | (52-15/.776) Florida St (4), Mississippi St, Tennessee, Georgia (N), Texas | 106-50 (.679) |
| Oklahoma Sooners (2) | 10-3 (13) | 9.42 (8) | (46-43/.517) Maine (F), Houston (4), Temple (G), Tulane (G), Tennessee, South Carolina, Alabama | (50-16/.758) Auburn, Texas (N), Mississippi, Missouri, LSU | 96-59 (.619) |
| Mississippi St Bulldogs (3) | 5-7 (78) | 9.38 (9) | (46-41/.529) E Kentucky (F), Tulane (G), UMASS (G), Florida, Texas A&M, Arkansas, Missouri | (48-18/.727) Arizona St (4), Texas, Georgia, Tennessee, Mississippi | 94-59 (.606) |
| Vanderbilt Commodores (4) | 2-10 (76) | 9.22 (13) | (56-33/.629) Alcorn St (F), Virginia Tech (4), Ball St (G), Alabama, Texas, South Carolina, Tennessee | (41-24/.631) Georgia St (G), Missouri, Kentucky, Auburn, LSU | 97-57 (.630) |
| Georgia Bulldogs (5) | 13-1 (2) | 9.14 (14) | (34-40/.459) Tennessee Tech (F), Georgia Tech (4), UMASS (G), Auburn, Mississippi St, Tennessee | (56-23/.709) Clemson (4N), Kentucky, Alabama, Texas, Florida (N), Mississippi | 90-63 (.588) |
| Alabama Crimson Tide (6) | 12-2 (5) | 8.98 (18) | (59-32/.648) Mercer (F), W Kentucky (G), South Florida (G), Georgia, South Carolina, Missouri, Auburn | (38-26/.594) Wisconsin (4), Vanderbilt, Tennessee, LSU, Oklahoma | 97-58 (.626) |
| South Carolina Gamecocks (7) | 5-7 (44) | 8.87 (24) | (49-39/.557) Wofford (F), Old Dominion (G), Akron (G), LSU, Mississippi, Texas A&M, Missouri | (40-25/.615) Clemson (4), Kentucky, Alabama, Oklahoma Vanderbilt | 89-64 (.582) |
| Arkansas Razorbacks (8) | 4-8 (74) | 8.71 (25) | (51-37/.580) Ark Pine Bluff (F), UAB (G), LA Tech (G), Tennessee, LSU, Mississippi, Texas | (39-26/.600) Oklahoma St (4), Auburn, Texas A&M (N), Mississippi St, Missouri | 90-63 (.588) |
| Kentucky Wildcats (9) | 7-6 (41) | 8.60 (27) | (49-50/.495) Murray St (F), Louisville (4), Southern Miss (G), Ohio (G), South Carolina, Georgia, Vanderbilt, Auburn | (37-15/.712) Mississippi, Florida, Tennessee, Texas | 86-65 (.570) |
| Auburn Tigers (10) | 6-7 (49) | 8.35 (32) | (40-58/.408) Alabama A&M (F), California (4), New Mexico (G), ULM (G), Arkansas, Oklahoma, Vanderbilt, Texas A&M | (43-12/.781) Georgia, Missouri, Kentucky, Alabama | 83-70 (.542) |
| Texas Longhorns (11) | 12-2 (7) | 8.07 (42) | (46-42/.523) Colorado St (G), UTSA (G), ULM (G), Mississippi St, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky | (38-27/.585) Michigan (4), Oklahoma (N), Vanderbilt, Arkansas, Texas A&M | 84-69 (.549) |
| Texas A&M Aggies (12) | 7-6 (43) | 7.79 (53) | (60-31/.659) McNeese (F), Notre Dame (4), Bowling Green (G), New Mexico St (G), Missouri, LSU, Texas | (25-36/.410) Florida, Arkansas (N), Mississippi St, South Carolina, Auburn | 85-67 (.559) |
| LSU Tigers (13) | 10-3 (11) | 7.62 (59) | (56-33/.629) Nicholls (F), UCLA (4), South Alabama (G), Mississippi, Alabama, Vanderbilt, Oklahoma | (29-33/.468) Southern Cal (4N), South Carolina, Arkansas, Texas A&M, Florida | 85-66 (.563) |
| Mississippi Rebels (14) | 11-2 (9) | 7.40 (68) | (55-35/.611) Furman (F), Middle Tennessee (G), Ga Southern (G), Kentucky, Oklahoma, Georgia, Mississippi St | (28-33/.459) Wake Forest (4), South Carolina, Arkanasas, Texas A&M, Florida | 83-68 (.550) |
| Tennessee Volunteers (15) | 9-4 (18) | 7.39 (70) | (41-47/.466) Chattanooga (F), Kent St (G), UTEP (G), Florida, Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi St | (38-26/.594) NC St (4N), Oklahoma, Arkansas, Georgia, Vanderbilt | 79-73 (.520) |
| Missouri Tigers (16) | 11-2 (12) | 6.63 (102) | (34-52/.395) Murray St (F), Boston College (4), Buffalo (G), Vanderbilt, Auburn, Oklahoma, Arkansas | (32-31/.508) UMASS (G), Texas A&M, Alabama, South Carolina, Mississippi St | 66-83 (.443) |
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Tune in next time for the top of the pile conference for pre-season strength of schedule. As always, thank you for reading and sharing with others, G
