Who Has The Hardest SEC Schedule in 2024?
The Southeastern Conference took center stage in the college football world on Wednesday evening as they announced and revealed their composite football schedule for the 2024 season.
The conference has been involved in 16 of the last 18 national championship games and routinely draws the most eyeballs in college football. 2024 is set to be even more exciting as Greg Sankey and the league members welcome Texas and Oklahoma into the already prestigious conference.
There are now five premiere programs in the Southeastern Conference in Alabama, Georgia, Oklahoma, Texas and LSU. These five have set themselves apart over the last decade as they've recruited and competed at the top level of the sport.
Let's look and see if the SEC schedule makers were balanced as they divided up opponents for next year's monumental season. How many teams ended up with games against the top five programs in the league?
All 16 schools have at least two games against the league's top five programs but no one has more than three on their schedule. Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Ole Miss, South Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Vanderbilt make up the unlucky group that must play three instead of two in 2024.
On top of that the conference has some juicy games out of conference in 2024. Here are the top six games the SEC will find themselves in out of conference next season.
- Texas at Michigan - The Longhorns head to the Big House for what could be a national championship rematch in Week 2.
- Notre Dame vs. Texas A&M - It will be Mike Elko's debut with the Aggies and anytime the Irish is in town it's a big deal.
- LSU vs Southern Cal (Las Vegas) - Both programs will be without their Heisman Trophy winning quarterbacks, making for a unique opener on a big stage.
- Alabama at Wisconsin - The Crimson Tide heads to Madison where the Badgers will look to teach them to "Jump Around" in Week 3
- Georgia vs. Clemson (Atlanta) - It'll be a huge test for Dabo Swinney as he and the Tigers square off with the Bulldogs in Mercedes-Benz Stadium in the opener
- Arkansas at Oklahoma State - It may not be the most attractive non-conference matchup, but it will be the first time seeing Bobby Petrino against good competition calling games again for the Razorbacks.
