With the much-anticipated additions of Texas and Oklahoma, the SEC Conference figures to be stronger than ever as we head into the upcoming season.
Sure, things will look a little different without legendary head coach Nick Saban roaming the Alabama sidelines.
However, the beat will go on for the Tide and everyone else for that matter.
Love him or hate him, ESPN’s Paul Finebaum is a major voice of the SEC and all things college football.
In a recent segment on “McElroy and Cubelic,” Finebaum weighed in on the top contenders in the SEC as we head into the 2024 season.
With plenty of powers to choose from, Finebaum went with Georgia, Texas and Alabama for his top three teams in the conference.
Of course, many people can argue – and with good reason – that the Ole Miss Rebels deserve to be in the top three.
Needless to say, you can’t remove the Georgia Bulldogs from the list. The Dawgs may very well be the best team in the entire country (along with Ohio State).
It’s also hard to take out Texas. After all, quarterback Quinn Ewers is returning to Austin and the Longhorns seem poised to avenge last year’s heartbreaking Playoff loss to the Washington Huskies.
There is, however, a very real debate to be made for the third spot.
Even with Saban gone, Alabama is in very good hands under new head coach Kalen DeBoer.
Returning plenty of talent and depth – including Heisman Trophy candidate Jalen Milroe – the Tide are in a very similar situation as Texas as they look to avenge last season’s crushing Playoff defeat.
Does Alabama have enough to make a legitimate national title run? … Absolutely they do.
Having said that, it’s hard to argue that Lane Kiffin’s Rebels aren’t the more talented team as we head into the new season.
To his credit, Finebaum admitted that he was torn between Alabama and Ole Miss for the third spot on his list.
“I’m gonna go with Georgia, Texas and Alabama and I think we’re splitting hairs about Ole Miss,” Finebaum said on McElroy and Cubelic. “Saying Ole Miss might be #4 in the SEC that puts them, what, about six or seven nationally?”
“So, it always comes down to a coin flip and I think you know, what they don’t have to deal with this year is what they’ve had to deal with so many other times and has been heartbreaking is Alabama.”
“And I think even though the complexities of that rivalry and complex that Lane Kiffin had with Nick Saban is out the window. I think that is to their advantage. But I still think the roster at Alabama until proven otherwise, maybe is slightly better.”
The debate between Alabama and Ole Miss raises intriguing questions, especially with the departure of Saban and the arrival of DeBoer as head coach in Tuscaloosa.
Finebaum speculated on whether this coaching change might shift the dynamics of the rivalry in Ole Miss’s favor, though he emphasized that he has to see it to believe it.
Also playing a factor in Finebaum’s hesitancy to put the Rebs ahead of the Tide is Ole Miss’ tendency to fall short of expectations.
Regarding the College Football Playoff, Finebaum previously contemplated how many SEC teams could secure spots in the expanded 12-team format.
While Georgia is widely regarded as a near-lock to make the dance, Finebaum highlighted the potential for multiple SEC teams to make a run at the title.
“Let’s move Georgia off the table,” he said. “I really like Alabama, as I told you once before, depending on circumstances, but today, and I’m not trying to be a qualifier, I would like them because I think they have enough players and a difficult schedule.”
“By the way, I’ve already forgotten Texas. They would be my second team after Georgia and before Alabama. Then you have Ole Miss and Missouri and LSU. To me, it’s really, I think three will get in and then who is between three and four?”
“So, if you have Georgia and Texas, I think Alabama and Ole Miss. You’re splitting hairs. Who wins those games?”
What are your thoughts on Finebaum’s rankings?
Who are YOUR top three SEC teams as we head into the new season?
At the end of the day, how many teams from the conference will make the Playoff?
Most importantly, who will end up winning the national championship???