Welcome to the show, Texas and Oklahoma

For the first time in conference history, SEC Media Days will come to Dallas as Texas and Oklahoma begin their first year in the SEC.

As the SEC expands for the first time since 2012, when Texas A&M and Missouri joined, it welcomes the Longhorns and Sooners to college football’s best conference.

Over the course of four days, coaches and players will preview the upcoming football season at the Omni Dallas Hotel. Here are five stories to watch during the event:

Welcome to the SEC, Longhorns and Sooners

Oklahoma has had plenty of recent success, while the Longhorns finally came through with their first trip to the College Football Playoff last year. Are any schools ready for the SEC program?

In the final 2023 CFP rankings, Texas and OU were the top-ranked Big 12 schools at No. 3 and No. 12, respectively. The only other Big 12 schools in those rankings were Oklahoma State (No. 20) and Kansas State (No. 25). Meanwhile, the SEC had six teams in the top 25 and five teams in the top 13 of the rankings.

Adding the Sooners and Longhorns to that group means seven 2024 SEC teams were in the top 13 of the CFP rankings on selection day. As for their old conference, Texas and OU are in a different sport now.

The Oklahoma schedule brings Tennessee and Alabama to Norman while sending the Sooners on trips to Ole Miss, Missouri and LSU. All of these schools are in the preseason Top 25.

The Longhorns’ schedule isn’t as stacked with SEC heavyweights as Oklahoma’s, but Texas still welcomes Georgia to Austin and heads to College Station to renew its rivalry with Texas A&M. Texas will also visit Ann Arbor and pay Michigan, the defending national champions, a visit.

In addition to those schedules, Texas and OU will still meet in Dallas for the Red River Showdown.

Much will be made of both schools’ preparation for increased competition at SEC Media Days.

The Mike Elko era begins in Aggieland

The powers that be in College Station have finally had enough of Jimbo Fisher. Enter Mike Elko.

The Aggies hired Elko away from Duke after seeing him turn around a program not known for its football. In his two seasons at Durham, the Blue Devils went 16-9 and were ranked No. 16 (Duke’s highest ranking since 1994).

As Elko heads into his first season with Texas A&M, how high are the expectations in College Station? Talent has certainly never been the problem for Texas A&M, as the Aggies have consistently underachieved with some of the most enviable rosters in college football.

The Aggies’ roster is still pretty talented, and Elko took out a lot of Duke’s much less talented rosters, so how quickly will Texas A&M see results?

Welcome back, Lone Star Showdown

Texas joins the SEC and immediately becomes part of two of the best rivalries in the conference. Which rivalry is more important to the Longhorns: Texas A&M or Oklahoma? It’s hard to say.

But for the first time since 2011, Texas and Texas A&M will meet on the gridiron in the final week of the season. Texas won the last matchup between the schools on a last-second field goal from Justin Tucker. It’s been over a decade since the schools met, but that doesn’t mean the rivalry is over.

“The Aggie War Hymn” is still followed by a rendition of “Saw Varsity’s Horns Off.” The Aggie family made an effort to prevent Texas from joining the conference. No love was lost, to be sure.

With the state’s biggest rivalry set to return in 2024, Kyle Field will be a sight to behold on November 30th.

Replacing a legend

Nick Saban shocked the sports world when he retired from coaching after the 2023 season. He is a coaching legend and the greatest ever to do so. Saban’s 292-71-1 record and seven national championships speak for themselves.

The Alabama job is one of the most coveted jobs in college football, which is why Alabama was able to snag Kalen DeBoer from Washington, the national runner-up in 2023. DeBoer is sure to get a lot of questions about Saban’s legacy and how he can fill the legend’s shoes.

The Crimson Tide should be one of the best in college football again in 2024, but Alabama will be dealing with a bear schedule this fall.

DeBoer has recruited at a high level so far in Tuscaloosa, but how much pressure is there on DeBoer to win right away when he replaces Saban?

Extended playoffs an opportunity for new blood?

Alabama was the SEC’s only representative in the College Football Playoff last season. That won’t be the case this season.

As previously mentioned, seven SEC teams were in the top 13 of the final CFP rankings: Texas, Alabama, Georgia, Missouri, Ole Miss, Oklahoma and LSU.

In the new 12-team format, there are five predetermined berths: the champions of the SEC, Big Ten, ACC, Big 12 and the top-ranked school from a non-power conference. How many of the remaining seven spots will be claimed by SEC teams?

Several schools are bracing for an opportunity that didn’t exist in the previous four-team format. Eli Drinkwitz’s Missouri Tigers are coming off an 11-2 season and Cotton Bowl win. Lane Kiffin’s Ole Miss Rebels are also coming off an 11-2 campaign and a win on the New Year. Josh Heupel and Tennessee also have high expectations.

Alabama, Georgia, LSU, Texas and Oklahoma are the only SEC schools to have made the CFP before. That should change this fall. Can one of Missouri, Ole Miss or Tennessee replicate their recent success and join the list?

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