Week 0 of the college football season is only a few days away. That means it's the perfect time to bet some season win totals. Check out the 4 we have cooked up for the SEC in 2024.
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After back-to-back titles, the Bulldogs ran the table once again in the regular season and faced their rivals, the Alabama Crimson Tide. In a hard-fought SEC title game, they fell short 27-24 and found themselves on the outside looking in at the CFB Playoff. They took their frustrations out on FSU in their bowl game where they decimated them 63-3.
They got some phenomenal news early in 2024 when Carson Beck decided to return and give Kirby Smart a Heisman caliber QB to run his offense once again. Smart also added Miami transfer Colbie Young to give Beck yet another weapon on the outside and as a bonus, they landed Trevor Etienne from Florida to serve as the running back that they needed last season.
The offensive line returns nearly everyone, giving Beck even more comfort in the pocket. On defense, the linebackers are going from green to a strength this season. Smael Mondon Jr will lead the group. The secondary lost most of their talent but Smart brought in a new crop that they believe will be able to step up and make plays once again.
Texas had just one hiccup last season during the regular season. A 34-30 loss to Oklahoma was their only blemish but it prevented them from being placed into the CFB Playoff. Quinn Ewers took an enormous step forward and made many forget that Arch Manning was waiting in the wings.
Ewers returns but the rest of the skill players on the offense have all left. The offensive line brings back four starters and that is arguably the most valuable piece of this offense. CJ Baxter and Jaydon Blue will be thrust into the backfield to fill in the void that Jonathon Brooks left.
Isaiah Bond was brought in from Bama along with Matthew Golden from Houston and Silas Bolden from Oregon State to fill the receiver roles. Like the offense, the defense lost some star-studded names.
Linebacker Jaylan Ford, Byron Murphy from the d-line, and outland trophy winner T’Vondre Sweat are all gone. It will be up to the plethora of transfers to make up for the losses of those big names.
Lane Kiffin’s Rebels had high hopes last season, but things went array in their game against Bama early in the year. They bounced back and rattled off 5 wins before facing Georgia in a game that proved that Ole Miss was a step behind the elite teams in the country. They handled a decent Penn State team in their bowl game with a 38-25 victory to end the season.
If hopes were high last season, they must be through the roof this season. They have one of the largest returning teams in the country and that includes the strong-armed Jaxson Dart.
Tre Harris, Jordan Watkins, and tight-end Caden Prieskorn all return for Dart. The one loss was Quinshon Judkins. The running back left to go play for the Buckeyes but Kiffin has Bentley IV and transfers Croskey-Merritt and Parrish Jr to fill his void.
The defense showed their weaknesses in the 52 points they allowed in the loss to Georgia. Coordinator Pete Golding took steps in the offseason to add some players via the portal to go with his handful of returning starters.
2024-2025 will be a different type of season for Alabama and their faithful. It will be the 1st season since Nick Saban has retired and National Championship aspirations will be extremely dulled. A week two loss to Texas was made up by running the table the rest of the way, including their SEC title win over Georgia. They earned their way into the playoff and faced Michigan where they lost a tough 27-20 game.
New coach Kalen DeBoer will have his hands full in year one. He lost majority of the team that was starting last season. He will be trying to change the offensive scheme from a traditional Bama team to one that had success during his time at Washington.
He will have Jalen Milroe who took steps forward in the latter part of last season under center. His targets and the offensive line will be in question but DeBoer believes Germaie Bernard, who he brought with him from Washington will help Milroe on the outside.
The defense will be led by coordinator Kane Wommack who has been meeting with Saban about ways to integrate his system with Saban’s old one. Questions will remain on the defense that has holes at every level. Time will tell if Wommack’s meetings with Saban will pay off.