The build-up to the 2024 college football season is going to be unlike anything we’ve seen in some time. This week’s SEC media days served as a prologue of sorts to the expanded 16-team conference that will welcome Oklahoma and Texas in a year’s time.
As teams and league officials met in Nashville, Tennessee, for their annual meeting, it was inevitable the Red River Rivals’ pending arrival would be a topic of discussion.
Though there’s a lot of excitement about the arrivals, there’s also a thought the Sooners and Longhorns are unaware of what’s waiting them.
“I don’t think they know what they’re getting into,” Josh Williams, a running back for LSU, said during SEC media days on Monday. “The SEC is a beast; everybody knows. But I’m excited for them to actually get into the conference.
“I love the fact that the SEC is expanding more to Texas,” Williams went on to explain. “I feel like a lot of kids from Texas leave Texas because they want to play in the SEC, but now that they’re bringing it more to Texas, I think it’s a great thing for football.”
There’s an assumption in college football circles that the Oklahoma Sooners and the Texas Longhorns are going to turn into average to below-average football programs when they make the transition to the SEC. In reality, the move to the SEC is going to help Oklahoma and Texas recruit better than they have since the last round of realignment. Recruit better, and you have a better chance to put together a championship roster.
Texas and Oklahoma have been consistently good recruiting schools in the modern recruiting era, rarely falling outside the top 15. Texas is annually in the top 10, which is why there’s been so much disappointment in the results in Austin.
For Oklahoma, the addition of Brent Venables and the announcement of the move to the SEC has enhanced its recruiting efforts. The Sooners have finished No. 8 (2022) and No. 4 (2023) in the last two recruiting cycles and appear to be heading toward another top-five finish if they land five-star prospects [autotag]Taylor Tatum[/autotag], [autotag]David Stone[/autotag], and [autotag]Williams Nwaneri[/autotag].
Oklahoma and Texas wanted to compete with the best. For the best prospects and for the nation’s top prize, the national championship. As a Big 12 school, Oklahoma wasn’t able to overcome Alabama. LSU or Georgia in the College Football Playoff. In bowl games against Florida, Auburn and Alabama, the Sooners have found more success.
So while Oklahoma and Texas may not be on the level of Georgia or Alabama yet, the move to the SEC is going to help them take a step in that direction. Whether they were in the SEC or the Big 12, they were chasing the Crimson Tide and the Bulldogs anyway. Joining the conference gives them a more direct measure to compare themselves.
There’s no misconception about the meat grinder that will be the SEC schedule. Yet, that’s what Oklahoma and Texas want. They want the best matchups every week. They want a schedule full of teams that were generally reserved for the rare nonconference matchup or bowl game. They wanted to be a part of what many believe to be the best conference in college football.
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