The SEC was already the ultimate powerhouse conference in college football and then it went and added Oklahoma and Texas. Now, entering the 2024 season, the SEC has nine teams in the preseason AP Top 25 and five positioned for spots in the 12-team College Football Playoff, Georgia, Texas, Alabama, Ole Miss, and Missouri.
Outside of that top group, there are contenders like LSU, Tennessee, Oklahoma, and Texas A&M that could all be in the mix for an SEC title or a CFP appearance. Still, that’s only nine of the 16 teams in a loaded conference, so there will be plenty of opportunities for teams to cause chaos.
The three teams on this list aren’t necessarily going to steal a CFP spot from the top dogs in the conference, but with a soft schedule or a timely upset, could turn the conference on its head.
First up are the Tennessee Volunteers and Nico Iamaleava. Tennessee arrived a bit early in the Josh Heupel era, nearly making the four-team CFP in 2022 with a 10-2 regular season record and capping off the year with an Orange Bowl win. The Vols regressed last season with Joe Milton at quarterback, but now the top quarterback in the 2023 recruiting class is taking over and hopes are high for the No. 15 team in the country.
Tennessee has ranked matchups with Oklahoma, Alabama, and Georgia, but the rest of the SEC schedule is rather easy, so if they take at least one of those three contests, they actually could ride their talented sophomore quarterback right into national championship contention.
Beyond just jumping into the upper echelon of the SEC, Tennessee might be the team best positioned to beat Georgia, facing the Dawgs after a four-week stretch with three games against Texas, Florida, and Ole Miss.
If Georgia doesn’t have the toughest schedule in the entire country then Florida holds that distinction, mostly because, unlike the Gators, Georgia doesn’t have to play Georgia. Florida boasts matchups with Texas A&M, Tennessee, Georgia, Texas, LSU, and Ole Miss, and that’s not to mention a non-conference schedule that features Miami, Florida State, and UCF.
The Gators may only win four or five games in 2024, yet they could cause more chaos than anyone. Because their resume could look so abysmal if the Gators happen to upset one of their SEC rivals that is on the cusp of a playoff appearance, it could keep them out of the big dance.
No team has more chances to play spoiler than the Gators, and nobody is more desperate for a statement win than Billy Napier.
The Jimbo Fisher era is finally over in College Station and Mike Elko doesn’t have a lot to lose in Year 1. Sure, his Aggies come into the year ranked at No. 19, but expectations are certainly tempered compared to Fisher’s final years.
Yet, Elko has a chance to surprise a lot of people in his first season, if his quarterback can stay healthy. Before Riley Leonard got hurt at Duke last year, Elko’s team was one of the hottest in the country, and now he’ll be hoping that Conner Weigman can make it through the year in one piece. Weigman has only played nine games over the past two years, but he’s been very impressive, throwing for 16 touchdowns and two interceptions.
The Aggies are a sleeper team in the SEC and avoid both Alabama and Georgia. A 10-2 season is in the cards for Elko and that could be enough to steal a playoff bid.