With just nine days until the 2024 college football season, the Oklahoma Sooners are hoping to create a little Sooner magic in their first year in the SEC.
Their team is more talented than many observers give them credit for. They’re in the midst of revamping their offensive line, to be sure, but they’ve added some talented and experienced transfers, as well as a ton of talented homegrown players. But they still need to put the team together. If they can do that, the Sooners could be in for a big year.
It’s a strong conference with nine teams ranked in the U.S. LBM Coaches Poll, but how do the Sooners and the rest of the SEC rank in college football writer Paul Myerberg’s USA TODAY Sports preseason No. 1-134 rankings?
MORE: Which SEC teams have the best helmets?
SEC Rank: 16
Can Vanderbilt create the same New Mexico State magic that saw them beat Auburn at Jordan-Hare Stadium?
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SEC Rank: 15
If Blake Shapen is going to have a breakout season, this could be it. Jeff Levy’s offense simplifies things and allows the playmakers to make plays.
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SEC Rank: 14
Lenoris Sellers is one of those two-way quarterbacks who can take his team to a higher level as long as he has good control of the ball.
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SEC Rank: 13
The crisis has already begun in Fayetteville. Can Sam Pittman weather it for one more season?
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SEC Rank: 12
The schedule is tough but Billy Napier has got some good players and if he can go bowl he will get the lead.
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SEC Rank: 11
The Auburn University Tigers are on a roll, and their home game against the Sooners on Sept. 28 will be a big indicator of how their season will go.
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SEC Rank: 10
The Brock Vandagriff show is coming up in Lexington: Can Mark Stoops turn Kentucky into a football school?
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SEC Rank: 9
Texas A&M is slowly starting to get some attention as a potential College Football Playoff contender, and if they can pull off this in Year 1 of the Mike Elko era, Elko could earn a lifetime contract.
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SEC Rank: 8
This is the lowest Missouri has been ranked in most preseason rankings I’ve seen, as they are typically considered a top 15 team and should have a chance to repeat last year’s season if they can split games with Texas A&M, Auburn, Alabama and Oklahoma.
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SEC Rank: 7
Like the Sooners, Josh Heupel has built a team that doesn’t rely solely on the superhuman strength of its quarterback. Tennessee’s defense is excellent. I can’t wait to play them on September 21st.
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SEC Rank: 6
Paul Myerberg likes the Oklahoma Sooners as much as anyone. Most publications and preseason polls have OU ranked 16th or 8th among SEC teams. The Sooners have some question marks, but they’re not the only ones. Expectations are relatively low. Can they exceed expectations?
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SEC Rank: 5
Now is the time for Lane Kiffin and the Ole Miss Rebels to step in. They are talented, experienced, well-coached, and feel ripe for a conference title and a playoff berth.
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SEC Rank: 4
If the defense turns things around in Year 1 under new coordinator Brandon Baker, the Tigers could be back in contention for a national title despite losing some talent in the first round of the NFL Draft.
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SEC Rank: 3
The pairing of Jalen Milroe and Cullen DeBoer could be the secret to an explosive offense in Tuscaloosa. The talent is still there and this is still Alabama.
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SEC Rank: 2
Quinn Ewers will be a Heisman Trophy candidate for much of the year, but matchups against Michigan, Oklahoma and Georgia will determine how the Longhorns go this season.
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SEC Rank: 1
The Georgia Bulldogs have appeared in the SEC title game three straight years and six of the past seven, making them the second most successful team, if not the most successful, of the past decade, behind only Alabama.
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